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THE     MODERN     DRAMA     SERIES 
EDITED    BY   EDWIN    BJORKMAN 


THE  GODS  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN  I  THE  GOLDEN 
DOOM  :  KING  ARGIMENES  AND  THE  UN- 
KNOWN warrior:  the  glittering  gate: 

THE    LOST   SILK    HAT     :     BY   LORD    DUNSANY 


FIVE  PLAYS 

THE  GODS  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN 

THE  GOLDEN  DOOM 

KING  ARGIMENES  AND  THE    UNKNOWN  WARRIOR 

THE  GLITTERING   GATE 

THE  LOST  SILK  HAT 

BY 

LORD  DUNSANY 


NON-REFERT 


O 
§WvAD-Q3S 


BOSTON 
LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY 

1922 


Copyright,  191 4, 
By  Little,  Brown,  and  Company 


All  Dramatic  rights  reserved  by 
the  Author 


These  plays  are  fully  protected  by  the  copyright  law,  all  require- 
ments of  which  have  been  complied  with.  In  their  present  printed 
form  they  are  dedicated  to  the  reading  public  only,  and  no  perform- 
ance of  them,  either  professional  or  amateur,  may  be  given  without 
the  written  permission  of  the  owner  of  the  acting  rights,  who  may 
be  addressed  in  care  of  the  publishers,  Little,  Brown,  and  Company. 


Pbinted  in  the  United  States  of  Ameeica 


Or 
cop.  Z 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Introduction  vu 

Chronological  List  of  Plays  xin 

The  Gods  of  the  Mountain  1 

The  Golden  Doom  39 
King  Argimenes  and  the  Unknown  Warrior    61 

The  Glittering  Gate  87 

The  Lost  Silk  Hat  101 


1116502 


INTRODUCTION 

OBSERVATION  and  imagination  are  the  basic 
principles  of  all  poetry.  It  is  impossible  to  con- 
ceive a  poetical  work  from  which  one  of  them  is  wholly 
absent.  Observation  without  imagination  makes  for 
obviousness ;  imagination  without  observation  turns 
into  nonsense.  What  marks  the  world's  greatest 
poetry  is  perhaps  the  presence  in  almost  equal  pro- 
portion of  both  these  principles.  But  as  a  rule  we 
find  one  of  them  predominating,  and  from  this  one- 
sided emphasis  the  poetry  of  the  period  derives  its 
character  as  realistic  or  idealistic. 

The  poetry  of  the  middle  nineteenth  century  made 
a  fetish  of  observation.  It  came  as  near  excluding 
imagination  as  it  could  without  ceasing  entirely  to  be 
poetry.  That  such  exaggeration  should  sooner  or 
later  result  in  a  sharp  reaction  was  natural.  The 
change  began  during  the  eighties  and  gathered  full 
headway  in  the  early  nineties.  Imagination,  so  long 
scorned,  came  into  its  rights  once  more,  and  it  is 
rapidly  becoming  the  dominant  note  in  the  literary 
production  of  our  own  day. 

The  new  movement  has  been  called  "  neo-romantic  " 
and  "  symbolistic."  Both  these  names  apply,  but 
neither  of  them  exhausts  the  contents  or  meaning  of 
the  movement  which  received  its  first  impetus  from 
Ibsen  and  which  later  found  its  typical  embodiment 
in  Maeterlinck.     From  this  movement  came  much  of 


viii  INTRODUCTION 


the  inspiration  that  produced  the  poetical  re-birth  of 
Ireland  out  of  which  has  sprung  the  man  whom  I  have 
now  the  pleasure  of  introducing  to  American  readers: 
a  man  with  imagination  as  elfish  as  moonlight  mist. 

Edward  John  Moreton  Drax  Plunkett,  Lord  Dun- 
sany,  is  the  eighteenth  member  of  his  family  to  bear 
the  title  which  gives  him  a  place  in  the  Irish  peerage. 
He  was  born  in  1878  and  received  his  education  at 
Eton  and  Sandhurst.  In  1899  he  succeeded  his  father 
to  the  title  and  the  family  estate  in  Meath,  Ireland. 
During  the  South  African  war  he  served  at  the  front 
with  the  Coldstream  Guards.  He  is  passionately  fond 
of  outdoor  life  and  often  spends  the  whole  day  in  the 
saddle  before  sitting  down  at  his  desk  to  write  late 
at  night. 

His  work  proves,  however,  that  he  is  as  fond  of 
spiritual  as  of  physical  exercise,  and  that  he  is  an 
inveterate  traveller  in  those  mysterious  regions  of  the 
partly  known  or  wholly  unknown  where  the  imagina- 
tion alone  can  guide  us.  His  first  literary  heroes  were 
the  brothers  Grimm  and  Andersen.  Then  the  Greek 
world  of  Olympians  was  revealed  to  him,  making  a 
lasting  impression  on  his  mind.  But  it  was  the  Bible 
that  gave  him  the  limpid  style  which  makes  his  most 
fantastic  tales  as  real  as  government  reports  —  or 
rather  much  more  so.  "  For  years  no  style  seemed  to 
me  natural  but  that  of  the  Bible,"  he  said  not  long 
ago,  "  and  I  feared  that  I  would  never  become  a  writer 
when  I  saw  that  other  people  did  not  use  it." 

For  something  like  ten  years  he  has  been  a  pretty 
frequent  and  increasingly  valued  contributor  to  Eng- 
lish and  Anglo-Irish  periodicals.  He  has  previously 
published  five  volumes:   "  The  Gods  of  Pegana,"  1905; 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

"  Time  and  the  Gods,"  1906 ;  "  The  Sword  of  Welle- 
ran,"  1908;  "A  Dreamer's  Tales,"  1910;  and  "The 
Book  of  Wonder,"  1912.  All  are  collections  of  prose 
pieces  that  defy  accepted  classifications.  They  are 
fairy  tales  and  short  stories  and  essays  and  prose 
poems   at  the  same  time. 

The  reader  has  only  to  take  a  brief  glance  at  one 
of  those  works  to  make  the  astounding  discovery  that 
he  is  being  introduced  to  worlds  of  which  he  has  never 
heard  before.  Even  the  "  Arabian  Nights  "  have  a 
clearly  identifiable  background  of  popular  legend  and 
myth.  Nothing  of  the  kind  is  to  be  found  in  the 
writings  of  Lord  Dunsany.  He  may  be  said  to  have 
created  a  new  mythology  wholly  his  own.  He  is  not 
only  the  master  but  the  maker  of  the  countries  to 
which  he  takes  us  on  such  fascinating  jaunts.  His 
commonest  name  for  them  is  the  Edge  of  the  World, 
but  sometimes  he  speaks  of  them  as  the  Lands  of 
Wonder.  This  latter  name  is  doubly  significant,  for 
the  whole  movement  of  which  he  forms  such  a  striking 
manifestation  has  been  defined  as  a  "  renascence  of 
wonder." 

The  names  of  places  and  persons  appearing  in  the 
stories  of  Lord  Dunsany  are  worth  a  study  in  them- 
selves. There  are  hundreds  of  them,  giving  evidence 
of  an  inexhaustible  imagination ;  and  each  one  of 
them  is  as  aptly  suggestive  as  if  generations  of  men 
had  been  at  work  shaping  them.  To  hear  of  Sarda- 
thion,  the  city  built  by  the  Gods  of  Old,  is  to  see  its 
domes  of  marble  rising  sky-high  in  the  sunset-lighted 
air.  To  hear  of  Slith  and  Sippy  and  Slorg,  the  three 
thieves  who  went  to  the  Edge  of  the  World  in  quest 
of  the  Golden  Box,  is  to  feel  as  if  one  were  dealing 


INTRODUCTION 


with  historical  characters  like  Aaron  Burr  or  Chinese 
Gordon.  And  as  we  learn  more  about  them,  these 
fanciful  creatures  of  Lord  Dunsany's  brain  assume 
still  more  familiar  characteristics,  as  if  they  had  been 
studied  in  some  Irish  village  or  English  street.  It 
is  this  fact  that  reveals  one  of  the  main  secrets  of 
Lord  Dunsany's  appeal:  that  behind  all  his  exuberant 
imagination  lies  a  solid  basis  of  observation,  enabling 
him  to  endow  the  most  impossible  adventures  with  a 
homely  and  convincing  air. 

The  five  plays  contained  in  the  present  volume  have 
all  been  produced  on  the  stage.  "The  Golden  Doom" 
and  "The  Gods  of  the  Mountain"  have  been  staged 
most  successfully  at  the  Haymarket  Theatre,  London. 
"King  Argimenes"  and  "The  Glittering  Gate"  have 
been  given  by  the  Irish  Players,  and  "The  Lost  Silk 
Hat"  has  been  put  on  by  Iden  Payne  at  Manchester.  In 
America,  the  first  three  have  been  in  the  repertoire  of 
Stuart  Walker's  Portmanteau  Theatre,  and  "  The  Glitter- 
ing Gate  "  has  been  given  by  the  Neighborhood  Players. 

After  seeing  "The  Gods  of  the  Mountain,"  Frank 
Harris  wrote:  "It  was  one  of  the  nights  of  my  life; 
the  only  play,  I  said  to  myself,  which  meant  anything 
to  me  in  twenty  years  or  more."  Without  sharing 
the  opinion  of  Mr.  Harris  about  the  dramatic  output 
of  the  last  twenty  years,  I  share  fully  his  enthusiasm 
in  regard  to  the  play  that  caused  his  remark.  The 
note  struck  in  it  is  so  distinctly  new  as  to  make  one 
gasp  as  under  a  sharp  shock.  But  the  surprise  turns 
quickly  into  pleasure  such  as  only  the  originality  of 
genius  can  confer. 

It  is  hard  to  define  just  what  makes  these  plays 
what    they    are.     But    certain   qualities    are    tangible. 


INTRODUCTION 


Their  deep  and  rich  symbolism  is  one.  It  is  the  kind 
of  symbolism  for  which  the  advances  of  modern 
psychology  had  prepared  us  —  the  kind  that  is  in- 
separable from  life  itself  as  we  are  only  just  beginning 
to  understand  it.  Another  quality  is  their  capacity 
for  suggesting  at  once  the  intimate  unity  and  ap- 
palling vastness  of  life.  In  "  The  Golden  Doom"  the 
fate  of  an  empire  and  a  little  boy's  desire  for  a  new 
plaything  become  linked  as  facts  of  equal  importance 
in  the  web  of  fate.  In  "  The  Gods  of  the  Mountain  " 
we  meet  with  an  atmosphere  of  fatality  comparable 
only  to  that  found  in  the  Greek  dramas.  The  crime 
of  hybris,  which  to  the  Greeks  was  the  "  unforgivable 
sin,"  is  here  made  as  real  to  us  as  it  was  to  them. 

But  these  remarks  of  mine  about  the  inner  signifi- 
cance of  the  plays  should  not  tempt  anybody  into 
thinking  them  deficient  in  that  element  of  formal  per- 
fection without  which  they  could  not  be  classed  as 
works  of  art.  They  are,  indeed,  "  things  of  beauty," 
and  their  beauty  inheres  in  their  design  as  well  as  in 
their  style.  Through  all  of  them  the  greatest  possible 
economy  of  means  has  been  observed,  so  that  not  a 
word,  not  a  tone,  not  a  gesture  is  wasted  in  obtaining 
the  effect  aimed  at.  The  dialogue  of  Maeterlinck  is 
suggested,  but  not  more  than  suggested.  The  words 
spoken  by  the  characters  of  Maeterlinck  are  often  so 
vague  as  to  be  practically  meaningless.  The  char- 
acters of  Lord  Dunsany  speak  as  simply  as  those  of 
Maeterlinck,  but  always  sharply  to  the  point;  there 
can  be  no  mistaking  of  what  they  mean,  and  that 
meaning  serves  always  to  carry  the  action  of  the  play 
forward.  And  each  play  of  Lord  Dunsany's  is  an 
exciting  adventure,  conveying  to  the  reader  an  exhila- 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

rating  sense  of  motion  without  ever  descending  to 
old-fashioned  stage  tricks  for  the  production  of  that 
sense.  This  means  that  they  combine  to  an  extraordi- 
nary degree  the  qualities  which  make  separately  for 
theatrical  or  literary  success. 

Edwin  Bjorkman. 


CHRONOLOGICAL   LIST    OF   PLAYS 
BY    LORD    DUNSANY 

The  Glittering  Gate,  1909 

King  Argimenes  and  the  Unknown  Warrior,  1911 

The  Gods  of  the  Mountain,  1911 

The  Golden  Doom,  1912 

The  Lost  Silk  Hat,  1913 

The  Tents  of  the  Arabs,  1915 

A  Night  at  an  Inn,  1916 

The  Queen's  Enemies,  1916 

The  Laughter  of  the  Gods,  1917 


THE    GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN 


PERSONS 


Agmar 

Slag 

Ulf 

Oogno         J-  Beggars 

Thahn 

Mean 

A  Thief 

j 

Oc-RANDER ' 

Illanaun   -  Citizens 

Akmos 

The  Dromedary  Mew 

Citizens,  etc. 

The  Others 


Scene  :  The  East 


THE  GODS  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN 
THE  FIRST  ACT 

Outside  a  city  wall.    Three  beggars  are  seated  upon 
the  ground. 

oogsto 

These  days  are  bad  for  beggary. 

THAHN 

They  are  bad. 
ulf  (an  older  beggar  but  not  gray) 

Some  evil  has  befallen  the  rich  ones  of  this  city. 
They  take  no  joy  any  longer  in  benevolence,  but 
are  become  sour  and  miserly  at  heart.  Alas  for 
them !  I  sometimes  sigh  for  them  when  I  think  of 
this. 

OOGNO 

Alas  for  them !  A  miserly  heart  must  be  a  sore 
affliction. 

THAHN 

A  sore  affliction  indeed,  and  bad  for  our  calling. 
oogxo  (reflectively) 

They  have  been  thus  for  many  months.  What  thing 
has  befallen  them? 

THAHN 

Some  evil  thing. 

ULF 

There  has  been  a  comet  come  near  to  the  earth  of 


4  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN        [act  i 

late  and  the  earth  has  been  parched  and  sultry  so 
that  the  gods  are  drowsy  and  all  those  things  that 
are  divine  in  man,  such  as  benevolence,  drunkenness, 
extravagance,  and  song,  have  faded  and  died  and 
have  not  been  replenished  by  the  gods. 

OOGNO 

It  has  indeed  been  sultry. 

THAHN 

I  have  seen  the  comet  o'  nights. 

ULF 

The  gods  are  drowsy. 

OOGNO 

If  they  awake  not  soon  and  make  this  city  worthy 
again  of  our  order  I  for  one  shall  forsake  the  call- 
ing and  buy  a  shop  and  sit  at  ease  in  the  shade 
and  barter  for  gain. 

THAHN 

You  will  keep  a   shop? 

[Enter  Agmar  and  Slag.  Agmar,  though  poorly 
dressed,  is  tall,  imperious,  and  older  than  Ulf.  Slag 
follows  behind  him. 

AGMAR 

Is  this  a  beggar  who  speaks? 

OOGNO 

Yes,  master,  a  poor  beggar. 

AGMAR 

How  long  has  the  calling  of  beggary  existed? 

OOGNO 

Since  the  building  of  the  first  city,  master. 

AGMAR 

And  when  has  a  beggar  ever  followed  a  trade? 
When  has  he  ever  haggled  and  bartered  and  sat 
in  a  shop? 


act  i]       GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  5 

OOGNO 

Why,  he  has  never  done  so. 

AGMAE 

Are  you  he  that  shall  be  first  to  forsake  the  calling? 

OOGNO 

Times  are  bad  for  the  calling  here. 

THAHN 

They  are  bad. 

AGMAR 

So  you  would  forsake  the  calling? 

OOGNO 

The  city  is  unworthy  of  our  calling.  The  gods  are 
drowsy  and  all  that  is  divine  in  man  is  dead.  (To 
third  beggar)    Are  not  the  gods  drowsy? 

ULF 

They  are  drowsy  in  their  mountains  away  at 
Manna.  The  seven  green  idols  are  drowsy.  Who 
is  this  that  rebukes  us? 

THAHN 

Are  you  some  great  merchant,  master?  Perhaps 
you  will  help  a  poor  man  that  is  starving. 

SLAG 

My  master  a  merchant !  No,  no.  He  is  no  mer- 
chant.    My  master  is  no  merchant. 

OOGNO 

I  perceive  that  he  is  some  lord  in  disguise.  The 
gods  have  woken  and  have  sent  him  to  save  us. 

SLAG 

No,  no.  You  do  not  know  my  master.  You  do 
not  know  him. 

THAHN 

Is  he  the  Soldan's  self  that  has  come  to  rebuke  us? 


6  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN       [act  i 

AGMAR 

I  am  a  beggar,  and  an  old  beggar. 
slag   (with  great  pride) 

There  is  none  like  my  master.  No  traveller  has 
met  with  cunning  like  to  his,  not  even  those  that 
come  from  ^Ethiopia. 

ULF 

We  make  you  welcome  to  our  town,  upon  which 
an  evil  has  fallen,  the  days  being  bad  for  beggary. 

AGMAR 

Let  none  who  has  known  the  mystery  of  roads  or 
has  felt  the  wind  arising  new  in  the  morning,  or 
who  has  called  forth  out  of  the  souls  of  men  divine 
benevolence,  ever  speak  any  more  of  any  trade  or 
of  the  miserable  gains  of  shops  and  the  trading 
men. 

OOGNO 

I  but  spoke  hastily,  the  times  being  bad. 

AGMAR 

I  will  put  right  the  times. 

SLAG 

There  is  nothing  that  my  master  cannot  do. 
agmar  (to  Slag) 

Be  silent  and  attend  to  me.  I  do  not  know  this 
city.  I  have  travelled  from  far,  having  somewhat 
exhausted   the  city   of  Ackara. 

SLAG 

My7  master  was  three  times  knocked  down  and  in- 
jured by  carriages  there,  once  he  was  killed  and 
seven  times  beaten  and  robbed,  and  every  time  he 
was  generously  compensated.  He  had  nine  diseases, 
many  of  them  mortal  — 


act  i]        GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN 


AGMAR 

Be  silent,  Slag.  —  Have  you  any  thieves  among  the 
calling  here? 

ULF 

We  have  a  few  that  we  call  thieves  here,  master, 
but  they  would  scarcely  seem  thieves  to  you.  They 
are  not  good  thieves. 

AGMAE 

I  shall  need  the  best  thief  you  have. 

[Enter  two  citizens  richly  clad,  Illanaun  and  Oo- 

rander. 

ILLANAUN 

Therefore  we  will  send  galleons  to  Ardaspes. 

OORANDER 

Right  to  Ardaspes  through  the  silver  gates. 
[Agmar  transfers  the  thick  handle  of  his  long  staff 
to  his  left  armpit,  he  droops  on  to  it  and  it  sup- 
ports his  weight;  he  is  upright  no  longer.  His 
right  arm  hangs  limp  and  useless.  He  hobbles  up 
to  the  citizens  imploring  alms. 

ILLANAUN 

I  am  sorry.     I  cannot  help  you.     There  have  been 
too  many  beggars  here  and  we  must  decline  alms 
for  the  good  of  the  town. 
agmar  (sitting  dozen  and  weeping) 
I  have  come  from  far. 

[Illanaun  presently  returns  and  gives  Agmar  a 
coin.  Exit  Illanaun.  Agmar,  erect  again,  walks 
back  to  the  others. 

AGMAR 

We  shall  need  fine  raiment;  let  the  thief  start  at 
once.     Let  it  rather  be  green  raiment. 


8  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN        [act  i 

BEGGAR 

I  will  go  and  fetch  the  thief.      (Exit) 

ULF 

We  will  dress  ourselves  as  lords  and  impose  upon 
the  city. 

OOGNO 

Yes,  yes;  we  will  say  we  are  ambassadors  from  a 
far  land. 

ULF 

And  there  will  be  good  eating. 
slag  (in  an  undertone  to  Ulf) 

But  you  do  not  know  my  master.  Now  that  you 
have  suggested  that  we  shall  go  as  lords,  he  will 
make  a  better  suggestion.  He  will  suggest  that 
we  should  go  as  kings. 

ULF 

Beggars  as  kings! 

SLAG 

Ay.     You  do  not  know  my  master. 
ulf  (to  Agmar) 

What  do  you  bid  us  do? 

AGMAR 

You  shall  first  come  by  the  fine  raiment  in  the 
manner  I  have  mentioned. 

ULF 

And  what  then,  master? 

AGMAR 

Why,  then  we  shall  go  as  gods. 

BEGGARS 

As  gods ! 

AGMAR 

As  gods.  Know  you  the  land  through  which  I  have 
lately  come  in  my  wanderings?     Marma,  where  the 


act  i]       GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  9 

gods  are  carved  from  green  stone  in  the  mountains. 
They  sit  all  seven  of  them  against  the  hills.  They 
sit  there  motionless  and  travellers  worship  them. 

ULF 

Yes,  yes,  we  know  those  gods.  They  are  much 
reverenced  here,  but  they  are  drowsy  and  send  us 
nothing  beautiful. 

AGMAR 

They  are  of  green  jade.  They  sit  cross-legged  with 
their  right  elbows  resting  on  their  left  hands,  the 
right  forefinger  pointing  upward.  We  will  come 
into  the  city  disguised,  from  the  direction  of  Mar- 
ma,  and  will  claim  to  be  these  gods.  We  must  be 
seven  as  they  are.  And  when  we  sit  we  must  sit 
cross-legged  as  they  do,  with  the  right  hand  up- 
lifted. 

ULF 

This  is  a  bad  city  in  which  to  fall  into  the  hands 
of  oppressors,  for  the  judges  lack  amiability  here 
as  the  merchants  lack  benevolence,  ever  since  the 
gods   forgot  them. 

AGMAR 

In  our  ancient  calling  a  man  may  sit  at  one  street 
corner  for  fifty  years  doing  the  one  thing,  and  yet 
a  day  may  come  when  it  is  well  for  him  to  rise  up 
and  do  another  thing  while  the  timorous  man  starves. 

ULF 

Also  it  were  well  not  to  anger  the  gods. 

AGMAR 

Is  not  all  life  a  beggary  to  the  gods?  Do  they  not 
see  all  men  always  begging  of  them  and  asking 
alms  with   incense,   and   bells,   and   subtle  devices? 


10  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN       [act  i 

OOGNO 

Yes,  all  men  indeed  are  beggars  before  the  gods. 

AGMAR 

Does  not  the  mighty  Soldan  often  sit  by  the  agate 
altar  in  his  royal  temple  as  we  sit  at  a  street  corner 
or  by  a  palace  gate? 

ULF 

It  is  even  so. 

AGMAE 

Then  will  the  gods  be  glad  when  we  follow  the  holy 
calling  with  new  devices  and  with  subtlety,  as  they 
are  glad  when  the  priests  sing  a  new  song. 

ULF 

Yet  I  have  a  fear. 
[Enter  two  men  talking. 
agmar  (to  Slag) 

Go  you  into  the  city  before  us  and  let  there  be  a 
prophecy  there  which  saith  that  the  gods  who  are 
carven  from  green  rock  in  the  mountain  shall  one 
day  arise  in  Marma  and  come  here  in  the  guise 
of  men. 

SLAG 

Yes,  master.  Shall  I  make  the  prophecy  myself? 
Or  shall  it  be  found  in  some  old  document? 

AGMAR 

Let  someone  have  seen  it  once  in  some  rare  docu- 
ment.    Let  it  be  spoken  of  in  the  market  place. 

SLAG 

It  shall  be  spoken  of,  master. 

[Slag  lingers.     Enter  Thief  and  Thahn. 

OOGNO 

This   is  our  thief. 


act  i]       GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  11 

agmar   (encouragingly) 
Ah,  he  is  a  quick  thief. 

THIEF 

I    could    only    procure    you    three    green    raiments, 
master.      The    city    is   not   now   well   supplied   with 
them;    moreover,  it   is   a  very   suspicious   city   and 
without  shame  for  the  baseness  of  its  suspicions. 
slag  (to  a  beggar) 
This  is  not  thieving. 

THIEF 

I  could  do  no  more,  master.     I  have  not  practised 
thieving  all  my  life. 

AGMAE 

You  have  got  something:    it  may  serve  our  purpose. 
How  long  have  you  been  thieving? 

THIEF 

I  stole  first  when  I  was  ten. 
slag  (in  horror) 
When  he  was  ten! 

AGMAR 

We  must   tear  them  up   and  divide  them   amongst 
the  seven.     (To  Thahn)     Bring  me  another  beggar. 

SLAG 

When  my  master  was   ten  he  had  already   to   slip 

by  night  out  of  two  cities. 
oogno  (admiringly) 

Out  of  two  cities? 
slag   (nodding  his  head) 

In    his    native    city    they    do    not    now   know    what 

became  of  the  golden  cup  that  stood  in  the  Lunar 

Temple. 

AGMAR 

Yes,  into  seven  pieces. 


12  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN        [act  i 

ULF 

We  will  each  wear  a  piece  of  it  over  our  rags. 

OOGNO 

Yes,  yes,  we  shall  look  fine. 

AGMAR 

That  is  not  the  way  that  we  shall  disguise  ourselves. 

OOGNO 

Not  cover  our  rags? 

AGMAR 

No,  no.  The  first  who  looked  closely  would  say, 
"  These  are  only  beggars.  They  have  disguised 
themselves." 

ULF 

What  shall  we  do? 

AGMAR 

Each  of  the  seven  shall  wear  a  piece  of  the  green 
raiment  underneath  his  rags.  And  peradventure 
here  and  there  a  little  shall  show  through;  and 
men  shall  say,  "  These  seven  have  disguised  them- 
selves as  beggars.     But  we  know  not  what  they  be." 

SLAG 

Hear  my  wise  master. 
oogno  (m  admiration) 
He  is  a  beggar. 

ULF 

He  is  an  old  beggar. 

CURTAIN 


THE   SECOND  ACT 

The  Metropolitan  Hall  of  the  city  of  Kongros. 
Citizens,  etc. 

Enter  the  seven  beggars  with  green  silk  under  their 
rags. 

OOEANDER 

Who  are  you  and  whence  come  you? 

AGMAR 

Who  may  say  what  we  are  or  whence  we  come? 

OOEANDER 

What  are  these  beggars  and  why  do  they  come  here? 

AGMAE 

Who  said  to  you  that  we  were  beggars? 

OOEANDEE 

Why  do  these  men  come  here? 

AGMAE 

Who  said  to  you  that  we  were  men? 

ILLANAUN 

Now,  by  the  moon ! 

AGMAE 

My  sister. 

ILLANAUN 

What? 

AGMAE 

My  little  sister. 

SLAG 

Our   little    6ister    the   moon.      She    comes    to   us    at 
evenings   away   in   the   mountains    of   Marma.      She 


14  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN       [act  ii 

trips  over  the  mountains  when  she  is  young.  When 
she  is  young  and  slender  she  comes  and  dances  be- 
fore us,  and  when  she  is  old  and  unshapely  she 
hobbles  away  from  the  hills. 

AGMAR 

Yet  is  she  young  again  and  forever  nimble  with 
youth ;  yet  she  comes  dancing  back.  The  years 
are  not  able  to  curb  her  nor  to  bring  gray  hairs 
to  her  brethren. 

OORANDER 

This  is  not  wonted. 

ILLANAUN 

It  is  not  in  accordance  with  custom. 

AKMOS 

Prophecy  hath  not  thought  it. 

SLAG 

She  comes  to  us  new  and  nimble,  remembering  olden 
loves. 

OORANDER 

It  were  well  that  prophets  should  come  and  speak 
to  us. 

ILLANAUN 

This    hath    not    been    in    the    past.      Let    prophets 
come.     Let  prophets  speak  to  us  of  future  things. 
[The  beggars  seat  themselves  upon  the  floor  in  the 
attitude  of  the  seven  gods  of  Marma. 

CITIZEN 

I  heard  men  speak  to-day  in  the  market  place. 
They  speak  of  a  prophecy  read  somewhere  of  old. 
It  says  the  seven  gods  shall  come  from  Marma  in 
the  guise  of  men. 

ILLANAUN 

Is  this  a  true  prophecy? 


act  n]      GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  15 

OORANDER 

It  is  all  the  prophecy  we  have.  Man  without 
prophecy  is  like  a  sailor  going  by  night  over  un- 
charted seas.  He  knows  not  where  are  the  rocks 
nor  where  the  havens.  To  the  man  on  watch  all 
things  ahead  are  black  and  the  stars  guide  him  not, 
for  he  knows  not  what  they  are. 

ILLANAUN 

Should  we  not  investigate  this  prophecy? 

OORANDER 

Let  us  accept  it.  It  is  as  the  small,  uncertain  light 
of  a  lantern,  carried  it  may  be  by  a  drunkard,  but 
along  the  shore  of  some  haven.     Let  us  be  guided. 

AKMOS 

It  may  be  that  they  are  but  benevolent  gods. 

AGMAR 

There  is  no  benevolence  greater  than  our  benevo- 
lence. 

ILLANAUN 

Then  we  need  do  little:  they  portend  no  danger 
to  us. 

AGMAR 

There  is  no  anger  greater  than  our  anger. 

OORANDER 

Let  us  make  sacrifice  to  them  if  they  be  gods. 

AKMOS 

We  humbly  worship  you,  if  ye  be  gods. 
illanaun  (kneeling  too) 

You  are  mightier  than  all  men  and  hold  high  rank 
among  other  gods  and  are  lords  of  this  our  city, 
and  have  the  thunder  as  your  plaything  and  the 
whirlwind  and  the  eclipse  and  all  the  destinies  of 
human  tribes  —  if  ye  be  gods. 


16  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN      [act  n 

AGMAR 

Let  the  pestilence  not  fall  at  once  upon  this  city, 
as  it  had  indeed  designed  to ;  let  not  the  earthquake 
swallow  it  all  immediately  up  amid  the  howls  of 
the  thunder;  let  not  infuriated  armies  overwhelm 
those  that  escape  —  if  we  be  gods  — 
populace  (in  horror) 
If  we  be  gods ! 

OORANDER 

Come,  let  us  sacrifice. 

LLLANAUN 

Bring  lambs. 

AKMOS 

Quick!     Quick!     (Exeunt  some) 
slag  (with  solemn  air) 

This  god  is  a  very  divine  god. 

THAHN 

He  is  no  common  god. 

MLAN 

Indeed  he  has  made  us. 
citizen  (to  Slag) 

He  will  not  punish  us,  master?  None  of  the  gods 
will  punish  us?  We  will  make  a  sacrifice,  a  good 
sacrifice. 

ANOTHER 

We  will  sacrifice  a  lamb  that  the  priests  have 
blessed. 

FIRST    CITIZEN 

Master,  you  are  not  wroth  with  us? 

SLAG 

Who  may  say  what  cloudy  dooms  are  rolling  up 
in  the  mind  of  the  eldest  of  the  gods?  He  is  no 
common  god  like  us.     Once  a  shepherd  went  by  him 


act  n]      GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  17 

in  the  mountains  and  doubted  as  he  went.  He  sent 
a  doom  after  that  shepherd. 

CITIZEN 

Master,  we  have  not  doubted. 

SLAG 

And  the  doom  found  him  on  the  hills  at  evening. 

SECOND    CITIZEN 

It  shall  be  a  good  sacrifice,  master. 
[Reenter  with  a  dead  lamb  and  fruits.     They  offer 
the  lamb  on  an  altar  where  there  is  fire,  and  fruits 
before  the  altar. 
thahn    (stretching   out   a  hand   to   a  lamb   upon  an 
altar)     That  leg  is  not  being  cooked  at  all. 

ILLANAUN 

It  is  strange  that  gods  should  be  thus  anxious  about 
the  cooking  of  a  leg  of  lamb. 

OORANDER 

It  is  strange  certainly. 

ILLANAUN 

Almost  I  had  said  that  it  was  a  man  spoke  then. 
ooeander  (stroking  his  beard  and  regarding  the  second 
beggar)      Strange.     Strange,  certainly. 

AGMAR 

Is  it  then  strange  that  the  gods  love  roasted  flesh? 
For  this  purpose  they  keep  the  lightning.  When 
the  lightning  flickers  about  the  limbs  of  men  there 
comes  to  the  gods  in  Marma  a  pleasant  smell,  even 
a  smell  of  roasting.  Sometimes  the  gods,  being 
pacific,  are  pleased  to  have  roasted  instead  the  flesh 
of  lamb.  It  is  all  one  to  the  gods;  let  the  roasting 
stop. 

OORANDER 

No,  no,  gods  of  the  mountains! 


18  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN       [act  ii 

OTHERS 

No,  no. 

OORANDER 

Quick,  let  us  offer  the  flesh  to  them.  If  they  eat, 
all  is  well. 

[They  offer  it;  the  beggars  eat,  all  but  Agmar, 
who  watches. 

ILLANAUN 

One  who  was  ignorant,  one  who  did  not  know,  had 
almost  said  that  they  ate  like  hungry  men. 

OTHERS 

Hush! 

AKMOS 

Yet  they  look  as  though  they  had  not  had  a  meal 
like  this  for  a  long  time. 

OORANDER 

They  have  a  hungry  look. 
agmar  {who  has  not  eaten) 

I  have  not  eaten  since  the  world  was  very  new  and 
the  flesh  of  men  was  tenderer  than  now.  These 
younger  gods  have  learned  the  habit  of  eating  from 
the  lions. 

OORANDER 

O  oldest  of  divinities,  partake,  partake. 

AGMAR 

It  is  not  fitting  that  such  as  I  should  eat.  None 
eat  but  beasts  and  men  and  the  younger  gods.  The 
sun  and  the  moon  and  the  nimble  lightning  and  I  — 
we  may  kill  and  we  may  madden,  but  we  do  not 
eat. 

AKMOS 

If  he  but  eat  of  our  offering  he  cannot  overwhelm  us. 


act  n]      GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  19 

ALL 

Oh,  ancient  deity,  partake,  partake. 

AGMAR 

Enough.      Let   it  be   enough   that   these   have   con- 
descended to  this  bestial  and  human  habit. 

ILLANAUN   (to  AkviOs) 

And  yet  he  is  not  unlike  a  beggar  whom  I  saw  nc 
so  long  since. 

OORANDER 

But  beggars  eat. 

ILLANAUN 

Now  I  never  knew  a  beggar  yet  who  would  refuse 
a  bowl   of  Woldery  wine. 

AKMOS 

This   is   no  beggar. 

ILLANAUN 

Nevertheless   let  us   offer  him    a  bowl   of   Woldery 
wine. 

AKMOS 

You  do  wrong  to  doubt  him. 

ILLANAUN 

I   do  but  wish  to   prove  his   divinity.     I  will   fetch 
the  Woldery  wine.    (Exit) 

AKMOS 

He  will  not  drink.     Yet  if  he  does,  then  he  will  not 
overwhelm  us.     Let  us   offer  him   the  wine. 
[Reenter  lllanaun  with  a  goblet. 

FIRST    BEGGAR 

It  is  Woldery  wine ! 

SECOND    BEGGAR 

It  is  Woldery! 

THIRD    BEGGAR 

A  goblet  of  Woldery  wine! 


20  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN       [act  ii 

FOURTH    BEGGAR 

O  blessed  day! 

MLAN 

O  happy  times ! 

SLAG 

O  my  wise  master! 

[Illanaun  takes  the  goblet.  All  the  beggars  stretch 
out  their  hands  including  Agmar.  Illanaun  gives 
it  to  Agmar.  Agmar  takes  it  solemnly,  and  very 
carefully  pours  it  upon  the  ground. 

FIRST    BEGGAR 

He  has  spilt  it. 

SECOND    BEGGAR 

He  has  spilt  it.    {Agmar  sniffs  the  fumes,  loquitur) 

AGMAR 

It  is  a  fitting  libation.  Our  anger  is  somewhat 
appeased. 

ANOTHER    BEGGAR 

But  it  was  Woldery ! 
akmos   {kneeling  to  Agmar) 

Master,  I  am  childless,  and  I  — 

AGMAR 

Trouble  us  not  now.  It  is  the  hour  at  which  the 
gods  are  accustomed  to  speak  to  the  gods  in  the 
language  of  the  gods,  and  if  Man  heard  us  he  would 
guess  the  futility  of  his  destiny,  which  were  not 
well  for  Man.     Begone!     Begone! 

ONE    LINGERS    (loquitur) 

Master  — 

AGMAR 

Begone ! 

[Exeunt.     Agmar   takes   up   a  piece  of  meat   and 


act  n]      GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  21 

begins  to  eat  it;    the  beggars  rise  and  stretch  them- 
selves:   they  laugh,  but  Agmar  eats  hungrily. 

OOGNO 

Ah!     Now  we  have  come  into  our  own. 

THAHN 

Now  we  have  alms. 

SLAG 

Master  !     My  wise  master ! 

ULF 

These  are  the  good  days,  the  good  days;    and  yet 
I  have  a  fear. 

SLAG 

What  do  you  fear?     There  is  nothing  to  fear.     No 
man  is  as  wise  as  my  master. 

ULF 

I  fear  the  gods  whom  we  pretend  to  be. 

SLAG 

The   gods  ? 
agmar   {taking  a  chunk  of  meat  from  his  lips) 

Come  hither,  Slag. 
slag  (going  up  to  him) 

Yes,  master. 
agmar 

Watch  in  the  doorway  while  I  eat.     (Slag  goes  to 

the  doorway)     Sit  in  the  attitude  of  a  god.     Warn 

me  if  any  of  the  citizens  approach. 

[Slag  sits  in  the  doorway  in  the  attitude  of  a  god, 

back  to  the  audience. 
oogno  (to  Agmar) 

But,  master,  shall  we  not  have  Woldery  wine? 
agmar 

We  shall  have  all  things  if  only  we  are  wise  at  first 

for  a  little. 


22  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN       [act  11 

THAHN 

Master,  do  any  suspect  us? 

AGMAR 

We  must  be  very  wise. 

THAHN 

But  if  we  are  not  wise,  master? 

AGMAR 

Why,  then  death  may  come  to  us  — 

THAHN 

0  master! 

AGMAR 

—  slowly. 

[All  stir  uneasily  except  Slag,  who  sits  motionless 

in  the  doorway. 

OOGNO 

Do  they  believe  us,  master? 
slag  (half  turning  his  head) 

Someone   comes. 

[Slag  resumes  his  position. 
agmar  (putting  away  his  meat) 

We  shall  soon  know  now. 

[All  take  up  the  attitude.    Enter  One,  loquitur. 

ONE 

Master,  I  want  the  god  that  does  not  eat. 

AGMAR 

1  am  he. 

ONE 

Master,  my  child  was  bitten  in  the  throat  by  a 
death-adder  at  noon.  Spare  him,  master;  he  still 
breathes,  but  slowly. 

AGMAR 

Is  he  indeed  your  child? 


act  n]      GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  23 

ONE 

He  is  surely  my  child,  master. 

AGMAR 

Was  it  your  wont  to  thwart  him  in  his  play,  while 
he  was  strong  and  well? 

ONE 

I  never  thwarted  him,  master. 

AGMAR 

Whose  child  is  Death? 

ONE 

Death  is  the  child  of  the  gods. 

AGMAR 

Do  you  that  never  thwarted  your  child  in  his  play 
ask  this  of  the  gods? 
one  (with  some  horror,  perceiving  Agmar's  meaning) 
Master ! 

AGMAR 

Weep  not.     For  all  the  houses  that  men  have  builded 
are  the  play-fields  of  this  child  of  the  gods. 
{The  Man  goes  away  in  silence,  not  weeping. 
oogno  (taking  Thahn  by  the  wrist) 
Is  this  indeed  a  man? 

AGMAR 

A  man,  a  man,  and  until  just  now  a  hungry  one. 

CURTAIN 


THE   THIRD   ACT 

Same  room. 

A  few  days  have  elapsed. 

Seven  thrones  shaped  like  mountain-crags  stand 
along  the  back  of  the  stage.  On  these  the  beggars 
are  lounging.     The  Thief  is  absent. 

MLAN 

Never  had  beggars  such  a  time. 

OOGNO 

Ah,  the  fruits  and  tender  lamb! 

THAHN 

The  Woldery  wine! 

SLAG 

It  was  better  to  see  my  master's  wise  devices  than 
to  have  fruit  and  lamb  and  Woldery  wine. 

MLAN 

Ah!     When  they  spied  on  him  to   see  if  he  would 
eat  when  they  went  away ! 

OOGNO 

When  they  questioned  him  concerning  the  gods  and 
Man! 

THAHN 

When    they    asked    him    why    the    gods    permitted 
cancer ! 

SLAG 

Ah,  my  wise  master! 

MLAN 

How  well  his  scheme  has  succeeded ! 


act  in]     GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  25 

OOGNO 

How  far  away  is  hunger! 

THAHN 

It   is   even   like   to   one   of  last   year's   dreams,   the 
trouble  of  a  brief  night  long  ago. 
oogno    ( laughing  ) 

Ho,  ho,  ho !     To  see  them  pray  to  us. 

AGMAR 

When  we  were  beggars  did  we  not  speak  as  beggars? 
Did  we  not  whine  as  they?  Was  not  our  mien 
beggarly? 

OOGNO 

We  were  the  pride  of  our  calling. 

AGMAR 

Then  now  that  we  are  gods,  let  us  be  as  gods,  and 
not  mock  our  worshippers. 

ULF 

I  think  that  the  gods  do  mock  their  worshippers. 

AGMAR 

The  gods  have  never  mocked  us.  We  are  above  all 
pinnacles  that  we  have  ever  gazed  at  in  dreams. 

ULF 

I  think  that  when  man  is  high  then  most  of  all  are 
the  gods  wont  to  mock  him. 
thief  (entering) 

Master !  I  have  been  with  those  that  know  all  and 
see  all.  I  have  been  with  the  thieves,  master.  They 
know  me  for  one  of  the  craft,  but  they  do  not  know 
me  as  being  one  of  us. 

AGMAR 

Well,  well! 

THIEF 

There  is  danger,  master,  there  is  great  danger. 


26  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNT AIN     [act  ra 

AGMAR 

You  mean  that  they  suspect  that  we  are  men. 

THIEF 

That   they   have   long  done,   master.      I   mean   that 
they  will  know  it.     Then  we  are  lost. 

AGMAR 

Then  they  do  not  know  it. 

THIEF 

They   do   not  know  it  yet,  but  they  will  know  it, 
and  we  are  lost. 

AGMAR 

When  will  they  know  it? 

THIEF 

Three  days  ago  they  suspected  us. 

AGMAR 

More   than  you   think  suspected  us,  but  have  any 
dared  to  say  so? 

THIEF 

No,  master. 

AGMAR 

Then  forget  your  fears,  my  thief. 

THIEF 

Two  men  went  on  dromedaries  three  days  ago  to  see 
if  the  gods  were  still  at  Marma. 

AGMAR 

They  went  to  Marma! 

THIEF 

Yes,  three  days  ago. 

OOGNO 

We  are  lost! 

AGMAR 

They  went  three  days  ago? 


act  in]     GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  27 

THIEF 

Yes,  on  dromedaries. 

AGMAR 

They  should  be  back  to-day. 

OOGNO 

We  are  lost! 

THAHN 

We  are  lost! 

THIEF 

They  must  have  seen  the  green  jade  idols  sitting 
against  the  mountains.  They  will  say,  "  The  gods 
are  still  at  Marma."     And  we  shall  be  burnt. 

SLAG 

My  master  will  yet  devise  a  plan. 
agmar  (to  the  Thief) 

Slip  away  to  some  high  place  and  look  toward  the 
desert  and  see  how  long  we  have  to  devise  a  plan. 

SLAG 

My  master  will  find  a  plan. 

OOGNO 

He  has  taken  us  into  a  trap. 

THAHN 

His  wisdom  is  our  doom. 

SLAG 

He  will  find  a  wise  plan  yet. 
thief   (reentering) 
It  is  too  late! 

AGMAR 

It  is  too  late! 

THIEF 

The  dromedary  men    \re  here. 

OOGNO 

We  are  lost! 


28  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN     [act  hi 

AGMAR 

Be  silent!     I  must  think. 

[They  all  sit   still.      Citizens   enter  and  prostrate 
themselves.     Agmar  sits  deep  in  thought. 
illanaun  {to  Agmar) 

Two  holy  pilgrims  have  gone  to  your  sacred  shrines, 
wherein  you  were  wont  to  sit  before  you  left  the 
mountains.  {Agmar  says  nothing)  They  return 
even  now. 

AGMAR 

They  left  us  here  and  went  to  find  the  gods?     A 
fish  once  took  a  journey  into  a  far  country  to  find 
the  sea. 
illanaun 

Most  reverend  deity,  their  piety  is  so  great  that 
they  have  gone  to  worship  even  your  shrines. 

AGMAR 

I  know  these  men  that  have  great  piety.  Such  men 
have  often  prayed  to  me  before,  but  their  prayers 
are  not  acceptable.  They  little  love  the  gods ;  their 
only  care  is  their  piety.  I  know  these  pious  ones. 
They  will  say  that  the  seven  gods  were  still  at 
Marma.  They  will  lie  and  say  that  we  were  still 
at  Marma.  So  shall  they  seem  more  pious  to  you 
all,  pretending  that  they  alone  have  seen  the  gods. 
Fools  shall  believe  them  and  share  in  their  dam- 
nation. , 

oorander  ( to  Illanaun) 

Hush!     You  anger  the  gods. 

illanaun 

I  am  not  sure  whom  I  anger. 

OORANDER 

It  may  be  they  are  the  gods. 


act  in]     GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  29 

ILLANAL'N 

Where  are  these  men  from  Marma? 

CITIZEN 

Here  are  the  dromedary  men ;   they  are  coming  now. 
illanaun  (to  Agmar) 

The  holy  pilgrims  from  your  shrine  are  come  to 
worship   you. 

AGMAR 

The  men  are  doubters.  How  the  gods  hate  the 
word!  Doubt  ever  contaminated  virtue.  Let  them 
be  cast  into  prison  and  not  besmirch  your  purity. 
(Rising)     Let  them  not  enter  here. 

ILLANAUN 

But  oh,  most  reverend  deity  from  the  Mountain, 
we  also  doubt,  most  reverend  deity. 

AGMAR 

You  have  chosen.  You  have  chosen.  And  yet  it 
is  not  too  late.  Repent  and  cast  these  men  in  prison 
and  it  may  not  be  too  late.  The  gods  have  never 
wept.  And  yet  when  they  think  upon  damnation 
and  the  dooms  that  are  withering  a  myriad  bones, 
then  almost,  were  they  not  divine,  they  could  weep. 
Be  quick !  Repent  of  your  doubt. 
[Enter  the  Dromedary  Men. 

IIXANAUN 

Most  reverend  deity,  it  is  a  mighty  doubt. 

CITIZENS 

Nothing  has  killed  him!     They  are  not  the  gods! 
slag  (to  Agmar) 

You  have  a  plan,  my  master.     You  have  a  plan. 

AGMAR 

Not  yet,  Slag. 


30  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN     [act  hi 

illanaun  (to  Oorander) 

These    are   the   men    that   went    to    the    shrines    at 

Mama. 
oorander  (in  a  loud,  clear  voice) 

Were    the    Gods    of    the    Mountain    seated    still    at 

Manna,  or  were  they  not  there? 

[  The  beggars  get  up  hurriedly  from  their  thrones. 

DROMEDARY   MAN 

They  were  not  there. 

ILLANAUN 

They  were  not  there? 

DROMEDARY   MAN 

Their  shrines  were  empty. 

OORANDER 

Behold  the  Gods  of  the  Mountain ! 

AKMOS 

They  have  indeed  come  from  Marma. 

OORANDER 

Come.  Let  us  go  away  to  prepare  a  sacrifice.  A 
mighty  sacrifice  to  atone  for  our  doubting.  (Ex- 
eunt) 

SLAG 

My  most  wise  master! 

AGMAR 

No,  no,  Slag.  I  do  not  know  what  has  befallen. 
When  I  went  by  Marma  only  two  weeks  ago  the 
idols  of  green  jade  were  still  seated  there. 

OOGNO 

We  are  saved  now. 

THAHN 

Ay,  we  are  saved. 

AGMAR 

We  are  saved>  but  I  know  not  how. 


act  m]     GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  31 

OOGNO 

Never  had  beggars  such  a  time. 

THIEF 

I  will  go  out  and  watch.     (He  creeps  out) 

ULF 

Yet  I  have  a  fear. 

OOGNO 

A  fear?     Why,  we  are  saved. 

ULF 

Last  night  I  dreamed. 

OOGNO 

What  was  your  dream? 

ULF 

It  was  nothing.  I  dreamed  that  I  was  thirsty  and 
one  gave  me  Woldery  wine;  yet  there  was  a  fear 
in  my  dream. 

THAHN 

When  I  drink  Woldery  wine  I  am  afraid  of  nothing. 
thief   (reentering) 

They  are  making  a  pleasant  banquet  ready  for  us; 
they  are  killing  lambs,  and  girls  are  there  with 
fruits,  and  there  is  to  be  much  Woldery  wine. 

MLAN 

Never  had  beggars  such  a  time. 

AGMAR 

Do  any  doubt  us  now? 

THIEF 

I  do  not  know. 

MLAN 

When  will  the  banquet  be? 

THIEF 

When  the  stars  come  out. 


32  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN     [act  hi 

OOGNO 

Ah!      It    is    sunset    already.      There   will   be    good 
eating. 

THAHN 

We  shall  see  the  girls   come  in  with  baskets  upon 
their  heads. 

OOGNO 

There  will  be  fruits  in  the  baskets. 

THAHN 

All  the  fruits  of  the  valley. 

MLAN 

Oh,  how  long  we  have  wandered  along  the  ways  of 
the  world! 

SLAG 

Oh,  how  hard  they  were! 

THAHN 

And  how  dusty ! 

OOGNO 

And  how  little  wine! 

MLAN 

How  long  we  have  asked  and  asked,  and   for  how 
much! 

AGMAR 

We  to  whom  all  things  are  coming  now  at  last! 

THIEF 

I  fear  lest  my  art  forsake  me  now  that  good  things 
come  without  stealing. 

AGMAR 

You  will  need  your  art  no  longer. 

SLAG 

The  wisdom   of  my  master   shall   suffice  us   all  our 
days. 


act  m]     GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  33 

{Enter  a  frightened  Man.  He  kneels  before  Agmar 
and  abases  his  forehead. 

MAN 

Master,  we  implore  you,  the  people  beseech  you. 
{Agmar  and  the  beggars  in  the  attitude  of  the  gods 
sit  silent. 

MAN 

Master,  it  is  terrible.  (The  beggars  maintain  si- 
lence) It  is  terrible  when  you  wander  in  the  even- 
ing. It  is  terrible  on  the  edge  of  the  desert  in  the 
evening.     Children  die  when  they  see  you. 

AGMAR 

In  the  desert?     When  did  you  see  us? 

MAN 

Last  night,  master.  You  were  terrible  last  night. 
You  were  terrible  in  the  gloaming.  When  your 
hands  were  stretched  out  and  groping.  You  were 
feeling  for  the  city. 

AGMAR 

Last  night  do  you  say? 

MAN 

You  were  terrible  in  the  gloaming! 

AGMAR 

You  yourself  saw  us? 

MAN 

Yes,  master,  you  were  terrible.  Children  too  saw 
you  and  they  died. 

AGMAR 

You  say  you  saw  us? 

MAN 

Yes,  master.  Not  as  you  are  now,  but  otherwise. 
We  implore  you,  master,  not  to  wander  at  evening. 
You  are  terrible  in  the  gloaming.     You  are  — 


34  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN     [act  m 

AGMAR 

You  say  we  appeared  not  as  we  are  now.  How 
did  we  appear  to  you? 

MAN 

Otherwise,  master,  otherwise. 

AGMAE 

But  how  did  we  appear  to  you? 

MAN 

You  were  all  green,  master,  all  green  in  the  gloam- 
ing, all  of  rock  again  as  you  used  to  be  in  the  moun- 
tains. Master,  we  can  bear  to  see  you  in  flesh  like 
men,  but  when  we  see  rock  walking  it  is  terrible,  it 
is  terrible. 

AGMAR 

That  is  how  we  appeared  to  you? 

MAN 

Yes,  master.  Rock  should  not  walk.  When  chil- 
dren see  it  they  do  not  understand.  Rock  should 
not  walk  in  the  evening. 

AGMAR 

There  have  been  doubters  of  late.  Are  they  sat- 
isfied ? 

MAN 

Master,  they  are  terrified.     Spare  us,  master. 

AGMAR 

It  is  wrong  to  doubt.     Go  and  be  faithful. 
[Exit  Man. 

SLAG 

What  have  they  seen,  master? 

AGMAR 

They  have  seen  their  own  fears  dancing  in  the  desert. 
They  have  seen  something  green  after  the  light  was 


act  in]     GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  35 

gone,  and  some  child  has  told  them  a  tale  that  it 
was  us.  I  do  not  know  what  they  have  seen.  What 
should  they  have  seen? 

ULF 

Something  was  coming  this  way  from  the  desert, 
he  said. 

SLAG 

What  should  come  from  the  desert? 

AGMAE 

They  are  a  foolish  people. 

ULF 

That  man's  white  face  has  seen  some  frightful  thing. 

SLAG 

A  frightful  thing? 

ULF 

That  man's  face  has  been  near  to  some  frightful 
thing. 

AGMAR 

It  is  only  we  that  have  frightened  them  and  their 
fears  have  made  them  foolish. 

[Enter  an  Attendant  with  a  torch  or  lantern  which 
he  places  in  a  receptacle.     Exit. 

THAHN 

Now  we  shall  see  the  faces  of  the  girls  when  they 
come  to  the  banquet. 

MLAN" 

Never  had  beggars  such  a  time. 

AGMAR 

Hark!     They  are  coming.     I  hear  footsteps. 

THAHN 

The  dancing  girls !    They  are  coming! 


36  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN     [act  in 

THIEF 

There  is  no  sound  of  flutes,  they  said  they  would 
come  with  music. 

OOGNO 

What  heavy  boots  they  have;  they  sound  like  feet 
of  stone. 

THAHN 

I  do  not  like  to  hear  their  heavy  tread.  Those  that 
would  dance  to  us  must  be  light  of  foot. 

AGMAR 

I  shall  not  smile  at  them  if  they  are  not  airy. 

MLAN 

They  are  coming  very  slowly.  They  should  come 
nimbly  to  us. 

THAHN 

They  should  dance  as  they  come.  But  the  footfall  is 
like  the  footfall  of  heavy  crabs. 

ulf  (in  a  loud  voice,  almost  chanting) 

I  have  a  fear,  an  old  fear  and  a  boding.  We  have 
done  ill  in  the  sight  of  the  seven  gods.  Beggars  we 
were  and  beggars  we  should  have  remained.  We 
have  given  up  our  calling  and  come  in  sight  of  our 
doom.  I  will  no  longer  let  my  fear  be  silent;  it 
shall  run  about  and  cry ;  it  shall  go  from  me  crying, 
like  a  dog  from  out  of  a  doomed  city ;  for  my  fear 
has  seen  calamity  and  has  known  an  evil  thing. 

slag  (hoarsely) 
Master ! 

agmar  (rising) 
Come,  come ! 

[They  listen.  No  one  speaks.  The  stony  boots 
come  on.  Enter  in  single  file  through  door  in  right 
of  back,  a  procession  of  seven  green  men,  even  hands 


act  m]     GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN  37 

and  faces  are  green;  they  wear  greenstone  sandals; 
they  walk  with  knees  extremely  wide  apart,  as  hav- 
ing sat  cross-legged  for  centuries;  their  right  arms 
and  right  forefingers  point  upward,  right  elbows 
resting  on  left  hands;  they  stoop  grotesquely. 
Halfway  to  the  footlights  they  left  wheel.  They 
pass  in  front  of  the  seven  beggars,  now  in  terrified 
attitudes,  and  six  of  them  sit  down  in  the  attitude 
described,  with  their  backs  to  the  audience.  The 
leader  stands,  still  stooping. 

oogno  {cries  out  just  as  they  wheel  left) 
The  Gods  of  the  Mountain ! 

agmar  (hoarsely) 

Be  still!  They  are  dazzled  by  the  light.  They  may 
not  see  us. 

[The  leading  Green  Thing  points  his  forefinger  at 
the  lantern — the  flame  turns  green.  When  the  six 
are  seated  the  leader  points  one  by  one  at  each  of 
the  seven  beggars,  shooting  out  his  forefinger  at 
them.  As  he  does  this  each  beggar  in  his  turn 
gathers  himself  back  on  to  his  throne  and  crosses 
his  legs,  his  right  arm  goes  stiffly  upward  with  fore- 
finger erect,  and  a  staring  look  of  horror  comes  into 
his  eyes.  In  this  attitude  the  beggars  sit  motion- 
less while  a  green  light  falls  upon  their  faces.  The 
gods  go  out. 

Presently  enter  the  Citizens,  some  with  victuals  and 
fruit.  One  touches  a  beggar's  arm  and  then  another's. 

CITIZEN 

They  are  cold;    they  have  turned  to  stone. 
[All  abase  themselves,  foreheads  to  the  floor. 

ONE 

We  have   doubted   them.      We   have   doubted   them. 


38  GODS    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN     [act  hi 

They  have  turned  to  stone  because  we  have  doubted 
them. 

ANOTHER 

They  were  the  true  gods. 

ALL 

They  were  the  true  gods. 

CURTAIN 


THE   GOLDEN   DOOM 


PERSONS 

The  King 

Chamberlain 

Chief  Prophet 

Girl 

Boy 

Spies 

First  Prophet 

Second  Prophet 

First  Sentry 

Second  Sentry 

Stranger 

Attendants 

Scene:    Outside  the  King's  great  door  in  Zericon. 
Time:    Some  while  before  the  fall  of  Babylon. 


THE  GOLDEN  DOOM 

Two  Sentries  pace  to  and  fro,  then  halt,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  gxeat  door. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

The  day  is  deadly  sultry. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

I  would  that  I  were  swimming  down  the  Gyshon,  on 
the  cool  side,  under  the  fruit  trees. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

It  is  like  to  thunder  or  the  fall  of  a  dynasty. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

It  will  grow  cool  by  night-fall.     Where  is  the  King? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

He  rows  in  his  golden  barge  with  ambassadors  or 
whispers  with  captains  concerning  future  wars.  The 
stars  spare  him ! 

SECOND    SENTRY 

Why  do  you  say  "  the  stars  spare  him  "? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Because  if  a  doom  from  the  stars  fall  suddenly  on 
a  king  it  swallows  up  his  people  and  all  things 
round  about  him,  and  his  palace  falls  and  the  walls 
of  his  city  and  citadel,  and  the  apes  come  [n  from 
the  woods  and  the  large  beasts  from  the  desert,  so 
that  you  would  not  say  that  a  king  had  been  there 
at  all. 


42  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 

SECOND    SENTRY 

But  why  should  a  doom  from  the  stars  fall  on  the 
King? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Because  he  seldom  placates  them. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

Ah!     I  have  heard  that  said  of  him. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Who  are  the  stars  that  a  man  should  scorn  them? 
Should  they  that  rule  the  thunder,  the  plague  and 
the  earthquake  withhold  these  things  save  for  much 
prayer?  Always  ambassadors  are  with  the  King, 
and  his  commanders,  come  in  from  distant  lands, 
prefects  of  cities  and  makers  of  the  laws,  but  never 
the  priests  of  the  stars. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

Hark!     Was  that  thunder? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Believe  me,  the  stars  are  angry. 
[Enter  a  Stranger.     He  wanders  toward  the  King's 
door,  gazing  about  him. 
sentries  (lifting  their  spears  at  him) 
Go  back!     Go  back! 

STRANGER 

Why? 
FIRST   sentry 

It  is  death  to  touch  the  King's  door. 

STRANGER 

I  am  a  stranger  from  Thessaly. 
first  sentry 

It  is  death  even  for  a  stranger. 

STRANGER 

Your  door  is  strangely  sacred. 


THE    GOLDEN    DOOM  43 

FIRST    SENTRY 

It  is  death  to  touch  it. 

[The  Stranger  wanders  off. 

[Enter  two  children  hand  in  hand. 
boy  (to  the  Sentry) 

I  want  to  see  the  King  to  pray  for  a  hoop. 

[The  Sentry  smiles. 
boy  (puslies  the  door;    to  girl) 

I  cannot  open  it.     (To  the  Sentry)     Will  it  do  as 

well  if  I  pray  to  the  King's  door? 

SENTRY 

Yes,   quite   as   well.      (Turns   to    talk   to   the  other 
Sentry)     Is  there  anyone  in  sight? 
second  sentry  (shading  his  eyes) 

Nothing  but  a  dog,  and  he  far  out  on  the  plain. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Then  we  can  talk  awhile  and  eat  bash. 

BOY 

King's  door,  I  want  a  little  hoop. 
[The  Sentries  take  a  little  bash  between  finger  and 
thumb  from  pouches  and  put  that  wholly  forgotten 
drug  to  their  lips. 
girl  (pointing) 

My  father  is  a  taller  soldier  than  that. 

BOY 

My  father  can  write.     He  taught  me. 
girl 

Ho !     Writing  frightens  nobody.     My  father  is   a 
soldier. 

BOY 

I  have  a  lump  of  gold.     I  found  it  in  the  stream 
that  runs  down  to  Gyshon. 


44  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 


GIEL 

I  have  a  poem.     I  found  it  in  my  own  head. 

BOY 

Is  it  a  long  poem? 

GIRL 

No.    But  it  would  have  been  only  there  were  no  more 
rhymes  for  sky. 

BOY 

What  is  your  poem? 

GIRL 

I  saw  a  purple  bird 

Go  up  against  the  sky 
And  it  went  up  and  up 

And  round  about  did  fly. 

BOY 

I  saw  it  die. 

GIRL 

That  does  n't  scan. 

BOY 

Oh,  that  does  n't  matter. 

GIRL 

Do  you  like  my  poem? 

BOY 

Birds  are  n't  purple. 

GIRL 

My  bird  was. 

BOY 

Oh! 

GIRL 

Oh,  you  don't  like  my  poem! 

BOY 

Yes,  I  do. 


THE    GOLDEN    DOOM  45 

GIRL, 

No,  you  don't ;    you  think  it  horrid. 

BOY 

No.     I  don't. 

GIRL 

Yes,  you  do.  Why  did  n't  you  say  you  liked  it? 
It  is  the  only  poem  I  ever  made. 

BOY 

I  do  like  it.     I  do  like  it. 

GIRL 

You  don't,  you  don't! 

BOY 

Don't  be  angry.     I  '11  write  it  on  the  door  for  you. 

GIRL 

You 'U  write  it? 

BOY 

Yes,  I  can  write  it.  My  father  taught  me.  I  '11 
write  it  with  my  lump  of  gold.  It  makes  a  yellow 
mark  on  the  iron  door. 

GIRL 

Oh,  do  write  it !     I  would  like  to  see  it  written  like 

real  poetry. 

\The  Boy  begins  to  write.     The  Girl  watches. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

You  see,  we  '11  be  fighting  again  soon. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

Only  a  little  war.  We  never  have  more  than  a  little 
war  with  the  hill-folk. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

When  a  man  goes  to  fight,  the  curtains  of  the  gods 
wax  thicker  than  ever  before  between  his  eyes  and  the 
future ;    he  may  go  to  a  great  or  to  a  little  war. 


46  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 

SECOND    SENTRY 

There  can  only  be  a  little  war  with  the  hill-folk. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Yet  sometimes  the  gods  laugh. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

At  whom? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

At  kings. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

Why  have  you  grown  uneasy  about  this  war  in  the 
hills? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Because  the  King  is  powerful  beyond  any  of  his 
fathers,  and  has  more  fighting  men,  more  horses, 
and  wealth  that  could  have  ransomed  his  father  and 
his  grandfather  and  dowered  their  queens  and  daugh- 
ters ;  and  every  year  his  miners  bring  him  more 
from  the  opal-mines  and  from  the  turquoise-quarries. 
He  has  grown  very  mighty. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

Then  he  will  the  more  easily  crush  the  hill-folk  in 
a  little  war. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

When  kings  grow  very  mighty  the  stars  grow  very 
jealous. 

BOY 

I  've  written  your  poem. 

GIRL 

Oh,  have  you  really? 

BOY 

Yes,  I  '11  read  it  to  you.     (He  reads) 
I  saw  a  purple  bird 
Go  up  against  the  sky 


THE    GOLDEN    DOOM  47 

And  it  went  up  and  up 
And  round  about  did  fly. 
I  saw  it  die. 

GIRL 

It  does  n't  scan. 

BOY 

That  does  n't  matter. 

[Enter  furtively  a  Spy,  who  crosses  stage  and  goes 

out.     The  Sentries  cease  to  talk. 

GIRL 

That  man  frightens  me. 

BOY 

He  is  only  one  of  the  King's  spies. 

GIRL 

But  I  don't  like  the  King's  spies.  They  frighten 
me. 

BOY 

Come  on,  then,  we  '11  run  away. 
sentry  (noticing  the  children  again) 

Go  away,  go  away !  The  King  is  coming,  he  will 
eat  you. 

[The  Boy  throws  a  stone  at  the  Sentry  and  runs 
out.  Enter  another  Spy,  who  crosses  the  stage. 
Enter  third  Spy,  who  notices  the  door.  He  exam- 
ines it  and  utters  an  owl-like  whistle.  No.  2  comes 
back.  They  do  not  speak.  Both  whistle.  No.  3 
comes.  All  examine  the  door.  Enter  the  King  and 
his  Chamberlain.  The  King  wears  a  purple  robe. 
The  Sentries  smartly  transfer  their  spears  to  their 
left  hands  and  return  their  right  arms  to  their  right 
sides.  They  then  lower  their  spears  until  their  points 
are  within  an  inch  of  the  ground,  at  the  same  time 
raising  their  right  hands  above  their  heads.     They 


48  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 

stand  for  some  moments  thus.  Then  they  lower  their 
right  arms  to  their  right  sides,  at  the  same  time  rais- 
ing their  spears.  In  the  next  motion  they  take  their 
spears  into  their  right  hands  and  lower  the  butts 
to  the  floor,  where  they  were  before,  the  spears  slant- 
ing forward  a  little.  Both  Sentries  must  move  to- 
gether precisely. 
first  spy  (runs  forward  to  the  King  and  kneels,  abas- 
ing his  forehead  to  the  floor)  Something  has  writ- 
ten on  the  iron  door. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

On  the  iron  door! 

KING 

Some  fool  has  done  it.  Who  has  been  here  since 
yesterday  ? 
first  sentry  (shifts  his  hand  a  little  higher  on  his 
spear,  brings  the  spear  to  his  side  and  closes  his  heels 
all  m  one  motion;  he  then  takes  one  pace  backward 
with  his  right  foot;  then  he  kneels  on  his  right  knee; 
when  he  has  done  this  he  speaks,  but  not  before) 
Nobody,  Majesty,  but  a  stranger  from  Thessaly. 

KING 

Did  he  touch  the  iron  door? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

No,  Majesty;   he  tried  to,  but  we  drove  him  away. 

KING 

How  near  did  he  come? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Nearly  to  our  spears,  Majesty. 

KING 

What  was  his  motive  in  seeking  to  touch  the  iron 
door? 


THE    GOLDEN    DOOM  49 

FIRST    SENTRY 

I  do  not  know,  Majesty. 

KING 

Which  way  did  he  go? 
first  sentry  {pointing  left) 

That  way,  Majesty,  an  hour  ago. 

{The  King  whispers  with  one  of  his  Spies,  who  stoops 

and   examines    the   ground   and   steals   away.      The 

Sentry  rises. 
king  (to  his  two  remaining  Spies) 

What  does  this  writing  say? 

A    SPY 

We  cannot  read,  Majesty. 
king 

A  good  spy  should  know  everything. 

SECOND    SPY 

We  watch,  Majesty,  and  we  search  out,  Majesty. 
We  read  shadows,  and  we  read  footprints,  and  whis- 
pers in  secret  places.     But  we  do  not  read  writing. 

king  (to  the  Chamberlain) 
See  what  it  is. 

chamberlain  (goes  up  and  reads) 
It  is  treason,  Majesty. 

king 
Read  it. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

I  saw  a  purple  bird 

Go  up  against  the  sky, 
And  it  went  up  and  up 
And  round  about  did  fly. 
I  saw  it  die. 
first  sentry  (aside) 
The  stars  have  spoken. 


50  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 

king  (to  the  Sentry) 

Has  anyone  been  here  but  the  stranger  from  Thes- 

saly? 
sentry  (kneeling  as  before) 

Nobody,  Majesty. 

KING 

You  saw  nothing? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Nothing  but  a  dog  far  out  upon  the  plain  and  the 

children  of  the  guard  at  play. 
king  (to  the  Second  Sentry) 

And  you? 
second  sentry  (kneeling) 

Nothing,  Majesty. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

That  is  strange. 

KING 

It  is  some  secret  warning. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

It  is  treason. 

KING 

It  is  from  the  stars. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

No,  no,  Majesty.  Not  from  the  stars,  not  from  the 

stars.     Some  man  has  done  it.     Yet  the  thing  should 

be  interpreted.     Shall  I  send  for  the  prophets  of  the 

stars  ? 

[The  King  beckons  to  his  Spies.     They  run  up  to 

him. 

KING 

Find  me  some  prophet  of  the  stars.  (Exeunt  Spies) 
I  fear  that  we  may  go  no  more,  my  chamberlain, 
along  the  winding  ways  of  unequalled  Zericon,  nor 


THE    GOLDEN    DOOM  51 

play  dahoori  with  the  golden  balls.  I  have  thought 
more  of  ray  people  than  of  the  stars  and  more  of 
Zericon  than  of  windy  Heaven. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

Believe  me,  Majesty,  some  idle  man  has  written  it 
and  passed  by.  Your  spies  shall  find  him,  and  then 
his  name  will  be  soon  forgotten. 

KING 

Yes,  yes.  Perhaps  you  are  right,  though  the  sen- 
tries saw  no  one.     No  doubt  some  beggar  did  it. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

Yes,  Majesty,  some  beggar  has  surely  done  it.  But 
look,  here  come  two  prophets  of  the  stars.  They 
shall  tell  us  that  this  is  idle. 

[Enter  two  Prophets  and  a  Boy  attending  them. 
All  bow  deeply  to  the  King.  The  two  Spies  steal  in 
again  and  stand  at  back. 

KING 

Some  beggar  has  written  a  rhyme  on  the  iron  gate, 
and  as  the  ways  of  rhyme  are  known  to  you  I  de- 
sired you,  rather  as  poets  than  as  prophets,  to  say 
whether  there  was  any  meaning  in  it. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

'T  is  but  an  idle  rhyme. 
first  prophet  (bows  again  and  goes  up  to  door.     He 
glances   at    the  writing)      Come   hither,   servant   of 
those  that  serve  the  stars. 
[Attendant  approaches. 

EIRST    PROPHET 

Bring  hither  our  golden  cloaks,  for  this  may  be  a 
matter  for  rejoicing;  and  bring  our  green  cloaks 
also,  for  this  may  tell  of  young  new  beautiful  things 


52  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 


with  which  the  stars  will  one  day  gladden  the  King; 
and  bring  our  black  cloaks   also,   for   it  may  be  a 
doom.     (Exit  the  Boy;    the  Prophet  goes  up  to  the 
door  and  reads  solemnly)     The  stars  have  spoken. 
[Reenter  Attendant  with  cloaks. 

KING 

I  tell  you  that  some  beggar  has  written  this. 

FIRST    PROPHET 

It  is  written  in  pure  gold.     (He  dons  the  black  cloak 
over  body  and  head) 

KING 

What  do  the  stars  mean?     What  warning  is  it? 

FIRST    PROPHET 

I  cannot  say. 
king  (to  Second  Prophet) 

Come  you  then  and  tell  us  what  the  warning  is. 
second  prophet  (goes  up  to  the  door  and  reads) 

The  stars  have  spoken.    (He  cloaks  himself  in  black) 
king 

What  is  it?     What  does  it  mean? 

SECOND    PROPHET 

We  do  not  know,  but  it  is  from  the  stars. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

It  is  a  harmless  thing;    there  is  no  harm  in  it,  Maj- 
esty.    Why  should  not  birds  die? 

KING 

Why  have  the  prophets  covered  themselves  in  black? 

CHAMBERLAIN 

They  are  a  secret  people  and  look  for  inner  mean- 
ings.    There  is  no  harm  in  it. 

KING 

They  have  covered  themselves  in  black. 


THE    GOLDEN    DOOM  53 

CHAMBERLAIN 

They  have  not  spoken  of  any  evil  thing.  They  have 
not  spoken  of  it. 

KING 

If  the  people  see  the  prophets  covered  in  black  they 
will  say  that  the  stars  are  against  me  and  believe 
that  my  luck  has  turned. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

The  people  must  not  know. 

KING 

Some  prophet  must  interpret  to  us  the  doom.     Let 

the  chief  prophet  of  the  stars  be  sent  for. 
chamberlain  (going  toward  left  exit) 

Summon   the  chief  prophet   of  the  stars  that  look 

on  Zericon. 
voices  off 

The  chief  prophet  of  the  stars.     The  chief  prophet 

of  the  stars. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

I  have  summoned  the  chief  prophet,  Majesty. 

KING 

If  he  interpret  this  aright  I  will  put  a  necklace  of 
turquoises  round  his  neck  with  opals  from  the  mines. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

He  will  not  fail.    He  is  a  very  cunning  interpreter. 

KING 

What  if  he  covers  himself  with  a  huge  black  cloak 
and  does  not  speak  and  goes  muttering  away,  slowly 
with  bended  head,  till  our  fear  spreads  to  the  sen- 
tries and  they  cry  aloud? 

CHAMBERLAIN 

This  is  no  doom  from  the  stars,  but  some  idle  scribe 


54  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 


hath  written  it  in  his  insolence  upon  the  iron  door, 
wasting  his  hoard  of  gold. 

KING 

Not  for  myself  I  have  a  fear  of  doom,  not  for  my- 
self; but  I  inherited  a  rocky  land,  windy  and  ill- 
nurtured,  and  nursed  it  to  prosperity  by  years  of 
peace  and  spread  its  boundaries  by  years  of  war. 
I  have  brought  up  harvests  out  of  barren  acres  and 
given  good  laws  unto  naughty  towns,  and  my  people 
are  happy,  and  lo,  the  stars  are  angry ! 

CHAMBERLAIN 

It  is  not  the  stars,  it  is  not  the  stars,  Majesty,  for 
the  prophets   of  the  stars  have  not  interpreted  it. 
Indeed,  it  was  only  some  reveller  wasting  his  gold. 
[Meanwhile  enter  Chief  Prophet  of  the  stars  that 
look  on  Zericon. 

KING 

Chief  Prophet  of  the  Stars  that  look  on  Zericon, 
I  would  have  you  interpret  the  rhyme  upon  yonder 
door. 

chief  peophet  (goes  up  to  the  door  and  reads) 
It  is  from  the  stars. 

king 

Interpret  it  and  you  shall  have  great  turquoises 
round  your  neck,  with  opals  from  the  mines  in  the 
frozen  mountains. 

chief  peophet  (cloaks  himself  like  the  others  in  a 
great  black  cloak)  Who  should  wear  purple  in  the 
land  but  a  King,  or  who  go  up  against  the  sky  but 
he  who  has  troubled  the  stars  by  neglecting  their 
ancient  worship?  Such  a  one  has  gone  up  and  up 
increasing  power  and  wealth,  such  a  one  has  soared 
above   the   crowns   of   those   that   went   before  him, 


THE    GOLDEN    DOOM  55 

such  a  one  the  stars  have  doomed,  the  undying  ones, 
the  illustrious.  [A  pause. 

KING 

Who  wrote  it? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

It  is  pure  gold.     Some  god  has  written  it. 

CHAMBERLAIN 

Some  god? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

Some  god  whose  home  is  among  the  undying  stars. 
first  sentry  (aside  to  the  Second  Sentry} 
Last  night  I  saw  a  star  go  flaming  earthward. 

KING 

Is  this  a  warning  or  is  it  a  doom? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

The  stars  have  spoken. 

KING 

It  is,  then,  a  doom? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

They  speak  not  in  jest. 

KING 

I  have  been  a  great  King  —  Let  it  be  said  of  me 
"  The  stars  overthrew  him,  and  they  sent  a  god  for 
his  doom."  For  I  have  not  met  my  equal  among 
kings  that  man  should  overthrow  me;  and  I  have 
not  oppressed  my  people  that  man  should  rise  up 
against  me. 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

It  is  better  to  give  worship  to  the  stars  than  to  do 
good  to  man.  It  is  better  to  be  humble  before  the 
gods  than  proud  in  the  face  of  your  enemy  though 
he  do  evil. 


56  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 

KING 

Let  the  stars  hearken  yet  and  I  will  sacrifice  a  child 
to  them  —  I  will  sacrifice  a  girl  child  to  the 
twinkling  stars  and  a  male  child  to  the  stars  that 
blink  not,  the  stars  of  the  steadfast  eyes.  (To  his 
Spies)  Let  a  boy  and  girl  be  brought  for  sacri- 
fice. (Exit  a  Spy  to  the  right  looking  at  footprints) 
Will  you  accept  this  sacrifice  to  the  god  that  the 
stars  have  sent?  They  say  that  the  gods  love 
children. 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

I  may   refuse  no   sacrifice  to  the  stars  nor  to  the 
gods   whom   they   send.      (To    the  other  Prophets) 
Make  ready  the  sacrificial  knives. 
[The  Prophets  draw  knives  and  sharpen  them. 

KING 

Is  it  fitting  that  the  sacrifice  take  place  by  the  iron 
door  where  the  god  from  the  stars  has  trod,  or 
must  it  be  in  the  temple? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

Let  it  be  offered  by  the  iron  door.     (To  the  other 
Prophets)    Fetch  hither  the  altar  stone. 
[The  owl-like  whistle  is  heard  off  right.     TJie  Third 
Spy  runs  crouching  toward  it.    Exit. 

KING 

Will  this  sacrifice  avail  to  avert  the  doom? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

Who  knows? 

KING 

I  fear  that  even  yet  the  doom  will  fall. 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

It  were  wise  to  sacrifice  some  greater  thing. 


THE    GOLDEN    DOOM  57 

KING 

What  more  can  a  man  offer? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

His  pride. 

KING 

What  pride? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

Your  pride  that  went  up  against  the  sky  and 
troubled  the  stars. 

KING 

How  shall  I  sacrifice  my  pride  to  the  stars? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

It  is  upon  your  pride  that  the  doom  will  fall,  and 
will  take  away  your  crown  and  will  take  away  your 
kingdom. 

KING 

I  will  sacrifice  my  crown  and  reign  uncrowned 
amongst  you,  so  only  I  save  my  kingdom. 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

If  you  sacrifice  your  crown  which  is  your  pride, 
and  if  the  stars  accept  it,  perhaps  the  god  that 
they  sent  may  avert  the  doom  and  you  may  still 
reign  in  your  kingdom  though  humbled  and  un- 
crowned. 

KING 

Shall  I  burn  my  crown  with  spices  and  with  incense 
or  cast  it  into  the  sea? 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

Let  it  be  laid  here  by  the  iron  door  where  the  god 
came  who  wrote  the  golden  doom.  When  he  comes 
again  by  night  to  shrivel  up  the  city  or  to  pour 
an  enemy  in  through  the  iron  door,  he  will  see  your 


58  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 

cast-off   pride   and   perhaps   accept   it   and   take   it 
away  to  the  neglected  stars. 
king  (to  the  Chamberlain) 

Go  after  my  spies  and  say  that  I  make  no  sacrifice. 
(Exit  the  Chamberlain  to  the  right;  the  King  takes 
off  his  crown)  Good-bye,  my  brittle  glory;  kings 
have  sought  you ;  the  stars  have  envied  you.  ( The 
stage  grows  darker) 

CHIEF    PROPHET 

Even  now  the  sun  has  set  who  denies  the  stars,  and 
the  day  is  departed  wherein  no  gods  walk  abroad. 
It  is  near  the  hour  when  spirits  roam  the  earth  and 
all  things  that  go  unseen,  and  the  faces  of  the  abid- 
ing stars  will  be  soon  revealed  to  the  fields.  Lay 
your  crown  there  and  let  us  come  away. 

king  {lays  his  crown  before  the  iron  door;  then  to 
the  Sentries )  Go !  And  let  no  man  come  near  the 
door  all  night. 

the  sentries  (kneeling) 
Yes,  Majesty. 

[They  remain  kneeling  until  after  the  King  has  gone. 
King  and  the  Chief  Prophet  walk  away. 

chief  prophet 

It  was  your  pride.     Let  it  be  forgotten.     May  the 
stars  accept  it.     (Exeunt  left) 
[The  Sentries  rise. 

first  sentry 

The  stars  have  envied  him! 

second  sentry 

It  is  an  ancient  crown.     He  wore  it  well. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

May  the  stars  accept  it. 


THE    GOLDEN    DOOM  59 

SECOND    SENTRY 

If  they  do  not  accept  it  what  doom  will  overtake 
him? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

It  will  suddenly  be  as  though  there  were  never  any 
city  of  Zericon  nor  two  sentries  like  you  and  me 
standing  before  the  door. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

Why!     How  do  you  know? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

That  is  ever  the  way  of  the  gods. 

SECOND    SENTRY 

But  it  is  unjust. 

FIRST    SENTRY 

How  should  the  gods  know  that? 

SECOND    SENTRY 

Will  it  happen  to-night? 

FIRST    SENTRY 

Come!    we  must  march  away.      (Exeunt  right) 
[The  stage  grows  increasingly  darker.     Reenter  the 
Chamberlain  from  the  right.     He  walks  across  the 
Stage  and  goes  out  to  the  left.     Reenter  Spies  from 
the  right.    They  cross  the  stage,  which  is  now  nearly 
dark. 
boy  (enters  from  the  right,  dressed  in  white,  his  hands 
out  a  little,  cry'mg)    King's  door,  King's  door,  I  want 
my  little  hoop.      (He  goes  up  to  the  King's  door. 
When  he  sees  the  Kmg's  crown  there,  he  utters  a 
satisfied)     O-oh!      (He  takes  it  up,  puts  it  on  the 
ground,  and,  beating  it  before  him  with  the  sceptre, 
goes  out  by  the  way  that  he  entered) 
[The  great  door  opens;  there  is  light  within;  a  fur- 
tive Spy  slips  out  and  sees  that  the  crown  is  gone. 


60  THE    GOLDEN    DOOM 

Another  Spy  slips  out.     Their  crouching  heads  come 
close  together. 
first  spy  (hoarse  whisper) 
The  gods  have  come! 

[They  run  back  through  the  door  and  the  door  is 
closed.  It  opens  again  and  the  King  and  the  Cham- 
berlain come  through. 

KING 

The  stars  are  satisfied. 

CURTAIN 


KING   ARGIMENES    AND    THE 
UNKNOWN   WARRIOR 


PERSONS 


King  Argimenes 

Zaeb,  a  slave  born  of  slaves 

An  Old  Slave 

A  Young  Slave 

Slaves 

King  Darniak 

The  King's  Overseer 

A  Prophet 

The  Idol-Guard 

The  Servant  of  the  King's  Dog 

Queen  Atharlia 

Queen  Oxara 

Queen  Cahafra 

Queen  Thragolind 

Guards  and  Attendants 


Slaves  of  King  Darniak 


Queens  of  King  Darniak 


Time:  A  long  time  ago* 


KING  ARGIMENES  AND  THE 
UNKNOWN  WARRIOR 

THE   FIRST  ACT 

The  dinner-hour  on  the  slave-fields  of  King  Darniak. 
King  Argimenes  is  sitting  upon  the  ground,  bowed, 
ragged  and  dirty,  gnawing  a  bone.  He  has  uncouth 
hair  and  a  dishevelled  beard.  A  battered  spade  lies 
near  him.  Two  or  three  slaves  sit  at  back  of  stage 
eating  raw  cabbage-leaves.  The  tear-song,  the  chant 
of  the  low-born,  rises  at  intervals,  monotonous  and 
mournful,  coming  from  distant  slave-fields. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

This  is  a  good  bone;    there  is  juice  in  this  bone. 

ZARB 

I  wish  I  were  you,  Argimenes. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

I  am  not  to  be  envied  any  longer.  I  have  eaten  up 
my  bone. 

ZARB 

I  wish  I  were  you,  because  you  have  been  a  king. 
Because  men  have  prostrated  themselves  before  your 
feet.  Because  you  have  ridden  a  horse  and  worn  a 
crown  and  have  been  called  Majesty. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

When  I  remember  that  I  have  been  a  king  it  is  very 
terrible. 


64  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  i 

ZARB 

But  you  are  lucky  to  have  such  things  in  your 
memory  as  you  have.  I  have  nothing  in  my 
memory  —  Once  I  went  for  a  year  without  being 
flogged,  and  I  remember  my  cleverness  in  contriving 
it  —     I  have  nothing  else  to  remember. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

It  is  very  terrible  to  have  been  a  king. 

ZARB 

But  we  have  nothing  who  have  no  good  memories 
in  the  past.  It  is  not  easy  for  us  to  hope  for  the 
future  here. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Have  you  any  god? 

ZARB 

We  may  not  have  a  god  because  he  might  make  us 
brave  and  we  might  kill  our  guards.  He  might 
make  a  miracle  and  give  us  swords. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Ah,  you  have  no  hope,  then. 

ZARB 

I  have  a  little  hope.  Hush,  and  I  will  tell  you  a 
secret —  The  King's  great  dog  is  ill  and  like  to 
die.  They  will  throw  him  to  us.  We  shall  have 
beautiful  bones  then. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Ah !     Bones. 

ZARB 

Yes.  That  is  what  /  hope  for.  And  have  you  no 
other  hope?  Do  you  not  hope  that  your  nation 
will  arise  some  day  and  rescue  you  and  cast  off  the 
king  and  hang  him  up  by  his  thumbs  from  the  palace 
gateway? 


act  i]  KING    ARG1MENES  65 

KING    ARGIMENES 

No.  I  have  no  other  hope,  for  my  god  was  cast 
down  in  the  temple  and  broken  into  three  pieces  on 
the  day  that  they  surprised  us  and  took  me  sleep- 
ing. But  will  they  throw  him  to  us?  Will  so 
honorable  a  brute  as  the  King's  dog  be  thrown 
to  us? 

ZARB 

When  he  is  dead  his  honors  are  taken  away.  Even 
the  King  when  he  is  dead  is  given  to  the  worms. 
Then  why  should  not  his  dog  be  thrown  to  us? 

KING    ARGIMENES 

We  are  not  worms ! 

ZARB 

You  do  not  understand,  Argimenes.  The  worms  are 
little  and  free,  while  we  are  big  and  enslaved.  I  did 
not  say  we  were  worms,  but  we  are  like  worms,  and 
if  they  have  the  King  when  he  is  dead,  why  then  — 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Tell  me  more  of  the  King's  dog.  Are  there  big 
bones  on  him? 

ZARB 

Ay,  he  is  a  big  dog  —  a  high,  big,  black  one. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

You  know  him  then? 

ZARB 

Oh  yes,  I  know  him.  I  know  him  well.  I  was 
beaten  once  because  of  him,  twenty-five  strokes  from 
the  treble  whips,  two  men  beating  me. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

How  did  they  beat  you  because  of  the  King's  dog? 

ZARB 

They  beat  me  because  I  spoke  to  him  without  mak- 


66  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  i 

ing  obeisance.  He  was  coming  dancing  along  over 
the  slave-fields  and  I  spoke  to  him.  He  was  a 
friendly  great  dog,  and  I  spoke  to  him  and  patted 
his  head,  and  did  not  make  obeisance. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

And  they  saw  you  do  it? 

ZARB 

Yes,  the  slave-guard  saw  me.  They  came  and  seized 
me  at  once  and  bound  my  arms.  The  great  dog 
wanted  me  to  speak  to  him  again,  but  I  was  hur- 
ried away. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

You  should  have  made  obeisance. 

ZARB 

The  great  dog  seemed  so  friendly  that  I  forgot  he 
was  the  King's  great  dog. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

But  tell  me  more.     Was  he  hurt  or  is  it  a  sickness? 

ZARB 

They  say  that  it  is  a  sickness. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Ah,  then  he  will  grow  thin  if  he  does  not  die  soon. 
If  it  had  been  a  hurt !  —  but  we  should  not  com- 
plain. I  complain  more  often  than  you  do  because 
I  had  not  learned  to  submit  while  I  was  yet  young. 

ZARB 

If  your  beautiful  memories  do  not  please  you,  you 
should  hope  more.  I  wish  I  had  your  memories. 
I  should  not  trouble  to  hope  then.  It  is  very  hard 
to  hope. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

There  will  be  nothing  more  to  hope  for  when  we 
have  eaten  the  King's  dog. 


act  i]  KING    ARGIMENES  67 

ZARB 

Why,  you  might  find  gold  in  the  earth  while  you 
were  digging.  Then  you  might  bribe  the  com- 
mander of  the  guard  to  lend  you  his  sword;  we 
would  all  follow  you  if  you  had  a  sword.  Then 
we  might  take  the  King  and  bind  him  and  lay  him 
on  the  ground  and  fasten  his  tongue  outside  his 
mouth  with  thorns  and  put  honey  on  it  and  sprinkle 
honey  near.  Then  the  gray  ants  would  come  from 
one  of  their  big  mounds.  My  father  found  gold 
once  when  he  was  digging. 
king  argimenes  (pointedly) 
Did  your  father  free  himself? 

ZARB 

No.    Because  the  King's  Overseer  found  him  looking 

at  the  gold  and  killed  him.     But  he  would  have  freed 

himself  if  he  could  have  bribed  the  guard. 

[A  Prophet  walks  across  the  stage  attended  by  two 

guards. 

SLAVES 

He  is  going  to  the  King.     He  is  going  to  the  King. 

ZARB 

He  is  going  to  the  King. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Going  to  prophesy  good  things  to  the  King.  It 
is  easy  to  prophesy  good  things  to  a  king,  and  be 
rewarded  when  the  good  things  come.  What  else 
should  come  to  a  king?  A  prophet!  A  prophet! 
[A  deep  bell  tolls  slowly.  King  Argimenes  and  Zarb 
pick  up  their  spades  at  once,  and  the  old  slaves  at 
the  bach  of  the  stage  go  down  on  their  knees  imme- 
diately and  grub  in  the  soil  with  their  hands.     The 


68  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  i 

white  beard  of  the  oldest   trails  in  the  dirt  as  he 
works.     King  Argimenes  digs. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

What  is  the  name  of  that  song  that  we  always  sing? 
I  like  the  song. 

ZARB 

It  has  no  name.     It  is  our  song.     There  is  no  other 
song. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Once  there  were  other  songs.     Has  this  no  name? 

ZARB 

I  think  the  soldiers  have  a  name  for  it. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

What  do  the  soldiers  call  it? 

ZARB 

The  soldiers  call  it  the  tear-song,  the  chant  of  the 
low-born. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

It  is  a  good  song.  I  could  sing  no  other  now. 
[Zarb  moves  away  digging. 
king  argimenes  ( to  himself  as  his  spade  touches  some- 
thing in  the  earth)  Metal!  (Feels  with  his  spade 
again)  Gold  perhaps !  —  It  is  of  no  use  here. 
( Uncovers  earth  leisurely.  Suddenly  he  drops  on 
his  knees  and  works  excitedly  in  the  earth  with  his 
hands.  Then  very  slowly,  still  kneeling,  he  lifts, 
lying  flat  on  his  hands,  a  long  greenish  sword,  his 
eyes  intent  on  it.  About  the  level  of  his  uplifted 
forehead  he  holds  it,  still  flat  on  both  hands,  and 
addresses  it  thus)  O  holy  and  blessed  thing!  (Then 
he  lowers  it  slowly  till  his  hands  rest  on  his  knees, 
and  looking  all  the  while  at  the  sword,  loquitur) 
Three  years  ago  to-morrow  King  Darniak  spat  at 


act  i]  KING    ARGIMENES  69 

me,  having  taken  my  kingdom  from  me.  Three 
times  in  that  year  I  was  flogged,  with  twelve  stripes, 
with  seventeen  stripes,  and  with  twenty  stripes.  A 
year  and  eleven  months  ago,  come  Moon-day,  the 
King's  Overseer  struck  me  in  the  face,  and  nine 
times  in  that  year  he  called  me  dog.  For  one  month 
two  weeks  and  a  day  I  was  yoked  with  a  bullock 
and  pulled  a  rounded  stone  all  day  over  the  paths, 
except  while  we  were  fed.  I  was  flogged  twice  that 
year  —  with  eighteen  stripes  and  with  ten  stripes. 
This  year  the  roof  of  the  slave-sty  has  fallen  in  and 
King  Darniak  will  not  repair  it.  Five  weeks  ago 
one  of  his  Queens  laughed  at  me  as  she  came  across 
the  slave-fields.  I  was  flogged  again  this  year  and 
with  thirteen  stripes,  and  twelve  times  they  have 
called  me  dog.  And  these  things  they  have  done  to 
a  king,  and  a  king  of  the  House  of  Ithara.  (He 
listens  attentively  for  a  moment,  then  buries  the 
sword  again  and  pats  the  earth  over  it  with  his 
hands,  then  digs  again) 

[The  old  slaves  do  not  see  him:  their  faces  are  to 
the  earth.  Enter  the  King's  Overseer  carrying  a 
whip.  The  slaves  and  King  Argimenes  kneel  with 
their  foreheads  to  the  ground  as  he  passes  across  the 
stage.  Exit  the  King's  Overseer. 
king  argimenes  (kneeling,  hands  outspread  downward) 
O  warrior  spirit,  wherever  thou  wanderest,  whoever 
be  thy  gods,  whether  they  punish  thee  or  whether 
they  bless  thee,  O  kingly  spirit,  that  once  laid  here 
this  sword,  behold,  I  pray  to  thee,  having  no  gods 
to  pray  to,  for  the  god  of  my  nation  was  broken  in 
three  by  night.  Mine  arm  is  stiff  with  three  years' 
slavery,  and  remembers  not  the  sword.     But  guide 


70  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  i 

thy  sword  till  I  have  slain  six  men  and  armed  the 
strongest  slaves,  and  thou  shalt  have  the  sacrifice 
every  year  of  a  hundred  goodly  oxen.  And  I  will 
build  in  Ithara  a  temple  to  thy  memory  wherein  all 
that  enter  in  shall  remember  thee ;  so  shalt  thou  be 
honored  and  envied  among  the  dead,  for  the  dead 
are  very  jealous  of  remembrance.  Ay,  though  thou 
wert  a  robber  that  took  men's  lives  unrighteously, 
yet  shall  rare  spices  smoulder  in  thy  temple  and 
little  maidens  sing  and  new-plucked  flowers  deck  the 
solemn  aisles ;  and  priests  shall  go  about  it  ringing 
bells  that  thy  soul  shall  find  repose.  Oh,  but  it  has 
a  good  blade,  this  old  green  sword;  thou  wouldst 
not  like  to  see  it  miss  its  mark  (if  the  dead  see  at 
all,  as  wise  men  teach),  thou  wouldst  not  like  to  see 
it  go  thirsting  into  the  air;  so  huge  a  sword  should 
find  its  marrowy  bone.  (Extending  his  right  hand 
upward)     Come  into  my  right  arm,  O  ancient  spirit, 

0  unknown  warrior's  soul !  And  if  thou  hast  the  ear 
of  any  gods,  speak  there  against  Illuriel,  god  of 
King  Darniak.     (He  rises  and  goes  on  digging) 

the  king's  overseer  (reentering) 

So  you  have  been  praying. 
king  argimenes  (kneeling) 

No,  master. 

THE    KING'S    OVERSEER 

The  slave-guard  saw  you.  (Strikes  him)  It  is  not 
lawful  for  a  slave  to  pray. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

1  did  but  pray  to  Illuriel  to  make  me  a  good  slave, 
to  teach  me  to  dig  well  and  to  pull  the  rounded  stone 
and  to  make  me  not  to  die  when  the  food  is  scarce, 
but  to  be  a  good  slave  to  my  master  the  great  King. 


act  i]  KING    ARGIMENES  71 

THE    KING'S    OVERSEER 

Who  art  thou  to  pray  to  Illuriel?     Dogs  may  not 

pray  to  an  immortal  god.     (Exit) 

\Xarb  comes  hack,  digging. 
king  argimenes  (digging) 

Zarb! 
zarb   (also  digging) 

Do  not  look  at  me  when  you  speak.     The  guards  are 

watching  us.    Look  at  your  digging. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

How  do  the  guards  know  we  are  speaking  because 
we  look  at  one  another? 

ZARB 

You  are  very  witless.     Of  course  they  know. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Zarb! 

ZARB 

What  is  it? 

KING    ARGIMENES 

How  many  guards  are  there  in  sight? 

ZARB 

There  are  six  of  them  over  there.     They  are  watch- 
ing us. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Are  there  other  guards  in  sight  of  these  six  guards? 

ZAEB 

No. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

How  do  you  know? 

ZARB 

Because  whenever  their  officer  leaves  them  they  sit 
upon  the  ground  and  play  with  dice. 


72  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  i 

KING    ARGIMENES 

How  docs  that  show  that  there  are  not  another  six 
in  sight  of  them? 

ZARB 

How  witless  you  are,  Argimenes !  Of  course  it  shows 
there  are  not.  Because,  if  there  were,  another  of- 
ficer would  see  them,  and  their  thumbs  would  be 
cut  off. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Ah!  (A  pause)  Zarb!  (A  pause)  Would  the 
slaves  follow  me  if  I  tried  to  kill  the  guards? 

ZARB 

No,  Argimenes. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Why  would  they  not  follow  me? 

ZARB 

Because  you  look  like  a  slave.  They  will  never 
follow  a  slave,  because  they  are  slaves  themselves, 
and  know  how  mean  a  creature  is  a  slave.  If  you 
looked  like  a  king  they  would  follow  you. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

But  I  am  a  king.     They  know  that  I  am  a  king. 

ZARB 

It  is  better  to  look  like  a  king.  It  is  looks  that 
they  would  go  by. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

If  I  had  a  sword  would  they  follow  me?  A  beautiful 
huge  sword  of  bronze. 

ZARB 

I  wish  I  could  think  of  things  like  that.  It  is 
because  you  were  once  a  king  that  you  can  think 
of  a  sword  of  bronze.  I  tried  to  hope  once  that  I 
should  some  day  fight  the  guards,  but  I  could  n't 


act  i]  KING    ARGIMENES  73 

picture  a  sword,  I  could  n't  imagine  it ;  I  could 
only  picture  whips. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Dig  a  little  nearer,  Zarb.  {They  both  edge  closer) 
I  have  found  a  very  old  sword  in  the  earth.  It  is 
not  a  sword  such  as  common  soldiers  wear.  A  king 
must  have  worn  it,  and  an  angry  king.  It  must 
have  done  fearful  things ;  there  are  little  dints  in 
it.  Perhaps  there  was  a  battle  here  long  ago  where 
all  were  slain,  and  perhaps  that  king  died  last  and 
buried  his  sword,  but  the  great  birds  swallowed 
him. 

ZARB 

You  have  been  thinking  too  much  of  the  King's  dog, 
Argimenes,  and  that  has  made  you  hungry,  and 
hunger  has  driven  you  mad. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

I  have  found  such  a  sword.  [A  pause. 

ZARB 

Why  —  then  you  will  wear  a  purple  cloak  again, 
and  sit  on  a  great  throne,  and  ride  a  prancing  horse, 
and  we  shall  call  you  Majesty. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

I  shall  break  a  long  fast  first  and  drink  much  water, 
and  sleep.     But  will  the  slaves  follow  me? 

ZARB 

You  will  make  them  follow  you  if  you  have  a  sword. 
Yet  is  Illuriel  a  very  potent  god.  They  say  that 
none  have  prevailed  against  King  Darniak's  dynasty 
so  long  as  Illuriel  stood.  Once  an  enemy  cast  Illuriel 
into  the  river  and  overthrew  the  dynasty,  but  a 
fisherman  found  him  again  and  set  him  up,  and  the 
enemy  was  driven  out  and  the  dynasty  returned. 


74  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  i 

KING    ARGIMENES 

If  Illuriel  could  be  cast  down  as  my  god  was  cast 
down  perhaps  King  Darniak  could  be  overcome  as 
I  was  overcome  in  my  sleep? 

ZARB 

If  Illuriel  were  cast  down  all  the  people  would  utter 
a  cry  and  flee  away.     It  would  be  a  fearful  portent. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

How  many  men  are  there  in  the  armory  at  the 
palace? 

ZARB 

There  are  ten  men  in  the  palace  armory  when  all  the 
slave-guards  are  out. 
[They  dig  awhile  in  silence. 

ZARB 

The  officer  of  the  slave-guard  has  gone  away  — 
They  are  playing  with  dice  now.  (He  throws  down 
his  spade  and  stretches  his  arms)  The  man  with 
the  big  beard  has  won  again,  he  is  very  nimble  with 
his  thumbs  —  They  are  playing  again,  but  it  is 
getting  dark,  I  cannot  clearly  see. 
[King  Argimenes  furtively  uncovers  the  sword,  he 
picks  it  up  and  grips  it  in  his  hand. 

ZARB 

Majesty! 

[King  Argimenes  crouches  and  steals  away  towards 

the  slave-guard. 

zarb  (to  the  o titer  slaves) 

Argimenes  has  found  a  terrible  sword  and  has  gone 
to  slay  the  slave-guard.  It  is  not  a  common  sword, 
it  is  some  king's  sword. 


act  i]  KING    ARGIMENES  75 

AN    OLD    SLAVE 

Argimenes  will  be  dreadfully  flogged.  We  shall 
hear  him  cry  all  night.  His  cries  will  frighten  us, 
and  we  shall  not  sleep. 

ZARB 

No,  no !  The  guards  flog  poor  slaves,  but  Argi- 
menes  had  an  angry  look.  The  guards  will  be  afraid 
when  they  see  him  look  so  angry  and  see  his  terrible 
sword.  It  was  a  huge  sword,  and  he  looked  very 
angry.  He  will  bring  us  the  swords  of  the  slave- 
guard.  We  must  prostrate  ourselves  before  him 
and  kiss  his  feet  or  he  will  be  angry  with  us  too. 

OLD    SLAVE 

Will  Argimenes  give  me  a  sword? 

ZARB 

He  will  have  swords  for  six  of  us  if  he  slays  the 
slave-guard.     Yes,  he  will  give  you  a  sword. 

SLAVE 

A  sword !     No,  no,  I  must  not ;    the  King  would  kill 
me  if  he  found  that  I  had  a  sword. 
second  slave  {slowly,  as  one  who  develops  an  idea) 
If  the  King  found  that  I  had  a  sword,  why,  then  it 
would  be  an  evil  day  for  the  King. 
[They  all  look  off  left. 

ZARB 

I  think  that  they  are  playing  at  dice  again. 
first    SLAVE 

I  do  not  see  Argimenes. 

ZARB 

No,  because  he  was  crouching  as  he  walked.  The 
slave-guard  is  on  the  sky-line. 

SECOND    SLAVE 

What  is  that  dark  shadow  behind  the  slave-guard? 


76  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  i 

ZARB 

It  is  too  still  to  be  Argimenes. 

SECOND    SLAVE 

Look !     It  moves. 

ZARB 

The  evening  is  too  dark,  I  cannot  see. 
[They  continue  to  gaze  into  the  gathering  darkness. 
They  raise  themselves  on  their  knees  and  crane  their 
necks.  Nobody  speaks.  Then  from  their  lips  and 
from  others  farther  off  goes  up  a  long,  deep  "  Oh!  " 
It  is  like  the  sound  that  goes  up  from  the  grand- 
stand when  a  horse  falls  at  a  fence,  or,  in  England, 
like  the  first  exclamation  of  the  crowd  at  a  great 
cricket  match  when  a  man  is  caught  in  the  slips. 

CURTAIN 


THE   SECOND   ACT 

The  Throne  Hall  of  King  Darniak.  The  King  is 
seated  on  his  throne  in  the  centre  at  the  back  of  the 
stage;  a  little  to  his  left,  but  standing  out  from  the 
wall,  a  dark-green  seated  idol  is  set  up.  His  Queens 
are  seated  about  him  on  the  ground,  two  on  his  right 
and  two  between  him  and  the  idol.  All  wear  crowns. 
Beside  the  dark-green  idol  a  soldier  with  a  pike  is  kneel- 
ing upon  one  knee.  The  tear-song,  the  chant  of  the 
low-born,  drifts  faintly  up  from  the  slave-fields. 

FIRST    QUEEN 

Do  show  us  the  new  prophet,  Majesty;  it  would  be 
very  interesting  to  see  another  prophet. 

THE    KING 

Ah,  yes. 

[He  strikes  upon  a  gong,  and  an  Attendant  enters, 
walks  straight  past  the  King  and  bows  before  the 
idol;  he  then  walks  back  to  the  centre  of  the  stage 
and  bows  before  the  King. 

THE    KING 

Bring  the  new  prophet  hither. 

[Exit  Attendant.  Enter  the  King's  Overseer  hold- 
ing a  roll  of  paper.  He  passes  the  King,  bows  to 
the  idol,  returns  to  the  front  of  the  King,  kneels, 
and  remains  kneeling  with  bended  head. 
the  king  (speaking  in  the  meanwhile  to  the  Second 
Queen  on  his  immediate  right)  We  are  making  a 
beautiful  arbor  for  you,  O  Atharlia,  at  an  end  of 


78  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  ii 

the  great  garden.  There  shall  be  iris-flowers  that 
you  love  and  all  things  that  grow  by  streams.  And 
the  stream  there  shall  be  small  and  winding  like  one 
of  those  in  your  country.  I  shall  bring  a  stream 
a  new  way  from  the  mountains.  (  Turning  to>  Queen 
Oxara  on  his   extreme  right)      And   for  you,   too, 

0  Oxara,  we  shall  make  a  pleasance.  I  shall  have 
rocks  brought  from  the  quarries  for  you,  and  my 
idle  slaves  shall  make  a  hill  and  plant  it  with  moun- 
tain shrubs,  and  you  can  sit  there  in  the  winter 
thinking  of  the  North.  (To  the  kneeling  Overseer) 
Ah,  what  is  here? 

THE    KING'S    OVERSEER 

The   plans    of   your   royal   garden,   Majesty.      The 
slaves    have   dug   it    for    five   years    and   rolled    the 
paths. 
the  king  {takes  the  plans) 

Was  there  not  a  garden  in  Babylon? 

THE    KING'S    OVERSEER 

They  say  there  was  a  garden  there  of  some  sort, 
Majesty. 

THE    KING 

1  will  have  a  greater  garden.  Let  the  world  know 
and  wonder.     (Looks  at  the  plans) 

THE    KING'S    OVERSEER 

It  shall  know  at  once,  Majesty. 
the  king   (pointing  at  the  plan) 

I  do  not  like  that  hill,  it  is  too  steep. 

THE    KING'S    OVERSEER 

No,  Majesty. 

THE    KING 

Remove  it. 


act  n]  KING    ARGIMENES  79 

THE    KING'S    OVERSEER 

Yes,  Majesty. 

THE    KING 

When  will  the  garden  be  ready  for  the  Queens  to 
walk   in? 

THE    KING'S    OVERSEER 

Work  is  slow,  Majesty,  at  this  season  of  the  year 
because  the  green  stuff  is  scarce  and  the  slaves  grow 
idle.     They  even  become  insolent  and  ask  for  bones. 
auEEN  cahafra  ( to  the  King's  Overseer) 

Then  why  are  they  not  flogged?  (To  Queen  Thra- 
golind)  It  is  so  simple,  the}'  only  have  to  flog  them, 
but  these  people  are  so  silly  sometimes.  I  want  to 
walk  in  the  great  garden,  and  then  they  tell  me: 
"It  is  not  ready,  Majesty.  It  is  not  ready,  Maj- 
esty," as  though  there  were  any  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  ready. 

FOURTH    QUEEN 

Yes,  they  are  a  great  trouble  to  us. 
[Meanwhile  the  King  hands  back  the  plans.  Exit 
the  King's  Overseer.  Reenter  Attendant  with  the 
Prophet,  who  is  dressed  in  a  long  dark  brown  cloak; 
his  face  is  solemn;  he  has  a  long  dark  beard  and 
long  hair.  Having  bowed  before  the  idol,  he  bows 
before  the  King  and  stands  silent.  The  attendant, 
havmg  bowed  to  both,  stands  by  the  doorway. 

the  king  (meanwhile  to  Queen  Atharlia) 

Perhaps  we  shall  lure  the  ducks  when  the  marshes 
are  frozen  to  come  and  swim  in  your  stream ;  it  will 
be  like  your  own  country.  (To  the  Prophet) 
Prophesy  unto  us. 

the  prophet  (speaks  at  once  in  a  loud  voice) 

There  was  once  a  King  that  had  slaves  to  hate  him 


80  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  ii 

and  to  toil  for  him,  and  he  had  soldiers  to  guard 
him  and  to  die  for  him.  And  the  number  of  the 
slaves  that  he  had  to  hate  him  and  to  toil  for  him 
was  greater  than  the  number  of  the  soldiers  that 
he  had  to  guard  him  and  to  die  for  him.  And  the 
days  of  that  King  were  few.  And  the  number  of  thy 
slaves,  0  King,  that  thou  hast  to  hate  thee  is  greater 
than  the  number  of  thy  soldiers. 
queen   cahafra   ( to  Queen  Thragolind) 

—  and  I  wore  the  crown  with  the  sapphires  and  the 
big  emerald  in  it,  and  the  foreign  prince  said  that 
I  looked  very  sweet. 

[The  King,  who  has  been  smiling  at  Atharlia,  gives 
a  gracious  nod  to  the  Prophet  when  he  hears  him 
stop  speaking.  When  the  Queens  see  the  King  nod 
graciously,  they  applaud  the  Prophet  by  idly  clap- 
ping their  hands. 

THIRD    QUEEN 

Do  ask  him  to  make  us  another  prophecy,  Majesty! 
He  is  so  interesting.     He  looks  so  clever. 

THE    KING 

Prophesy  unto  us. 

THE    PROPHET 

Thine  armies  camped  upon  thy  mountainous  borders 
descry  no  enemy  in  the  plains  afar.  And  within  thy 
gates  lurks  he  for  whom  thy  sentinels  seek  upon 
lonely  guarded  frontiers.  There  is  a  fear  upon  me 
and  a  boding.  Even  yet  there  is  time,  even  yet ; 
but  little  time.  And  my  mind  is  dark  with  trouble 
for  thy  kingdom. 
queen  cahafra  ( to  Queen  Thragolind) 
I  do  not  like  the  way  he  does  his  hair. 


act  n]  KING    ARGIMENES  81 

QUEEN    THRAGOLIND 

It  would  be  all  right  if  he  would  only  have  it  cut. 
the  king  (to  the  Prophet,  dismissing  him  with  a  nod 
of    the    head)       Thank    you,    that    has    been    very 
interesting. 

QUEEN    THRAGOLIND 

How  clever  he  is !    I  wonder  how  he  thinks  of  things 
like  that? 

QUEEN     CAHAFKA 

Yes,  but  I  hate  a  man  who  is   conceited  about  it. 
Look  how  he  wears  his  hair. 

QUEEN    THRAGOLIND 

Yes,  of  course,  it  is  perfectly  dreadful. 

QUEEN    CAHAFRA 

Why  can't  he  wear  his  hair  like  other  people,  even 
if  he  does  say  clever  things? 

QUEEN    THRAGOLIND 

Yes,  I  hate  a  conceited  man.1 

[Enter  an  Attendant.    He  bows  before  the  idol,  then 

kneels  to  the  King. 

THE    ATTENDANT 

The   guests    are    all    assembled   in   the    Chamber   of 

Banquets. 

[All    rise.      The   Queens   walk   two    abreast    to    the 

Chamber  of  Banquets. 
queen  atharlia  ( to  Queen  Oxara) 

What  was  he  talking  about? 
queen  oxara 

He  was  talking  about  the  armies  on  the  frontier. 

1  It  is  not  necessary  for  the  prophet's  hair  to  be  at  all  unusual. 


82  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  n 

QUEEN    ATHARLIA 

Ah!  That  reminds  me  of  that  young  captain  in 
the  Purple  Guard.    They  say  that  he  loves  Linoora. 

QUEEN    OXARA 

Oh,  Thearkos !  Linoora  probably  said  that. 
[When  the  Queens  come  to  the  doorway  they  halt 
on  each  side  of  it.  Then  they  turn  facing  one  an- 
other. Then  the  King  leaves  his  throne  and  passes 
between  them  into  the  Chamber  of  Banquets,  each 
couple  courtseying  low  to  him  as  he  passes.  The 
Queens  follow,  then  the  attendants.  There  rises  the 
wine-song,  the  chant  of  the  nobles,  drowning  the 
chant  of  the  low-born.  Only  the  Idol-Guard  remains 
behind,  still  kneeling  beside  Illuriel. 

THE    IDOL-GUARD 

I  do  not  like  those  things  the  Prophet  said  —  It 
would  be  terrible  if  they  were  true —  It  would  be 
very  terrible  if  they  were  false,  for  he  prophesies 
in  the  name  of  Illuriel —  Ah!  They  are  singing 
the  wine-song,  the  chant  of  the  nobles.  The  Queens 
are  singing.  How  merry  they  are !  —  I  should 
like  to  be  a  noble  and  sit  and  look  at  the  Queens. 
(He  joins  in  the  song) 

THE    VOICE    OF    A    SENTINEL 

Guard,  turn  out.     (The  wine-song  still  continues) 

THE    VOICE    OF    ONE    HAVING    AUTHORITY 

Turn  out  the  guard  there !     Wake  up,  you  accursed 

pigs! 

[Still  the  wine-song.    A  faint  sound  as  of  swords. 

A    VOICE    CRYING 

To  the  armory !  To  the  armory !  Reinforce !  The 
Slaves  have  come  to  the  armory.  Ah!  mercy!  (For 
awhile  there  is  silence) 


act  n]  KING    ARGIMENES  83 

king  argimenes  {in  the  doorway) 

Go  you  to  the  slave-fields.  Say  that  the  palace- 
guard  is  dead  and  that  we  have  taken  the  armory. 
Ten  of  you,  hold  the  armory  till  our  men  come  from 
the  slave-fields.  {He  comes  into  the  hall  with  his 
slaves  armed  with  swords)    Throw  down  Illuriel. 

THE    IDOL-GUARD 

You  must  take  my  life  before  you  touch  my  god. 

A    SLAVE 

We  only  want  your  pike. 

[All  attack  him;  they  seize  his  sword  and  bind  his 
hands  behind  him.  They  all  pull  down  Illuriel,  the 
dark-green  idol,  who  breaks  into  seven  pieces. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Illuriel  is  fallen  and  broken  asunder. 
zarb  {with  some  awe) 

Immortal  Illuriel  is  dead  at  last. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

My  god  was  broken  into  three  pieces,  but  Illuriel 
is  broken  into  seven.  The  fortunes  of  Darniak  will 
prevail  over  mine  no  longer.  {A  slave  breaks  off  a 
golden  arm  from  the  throne)  Come,  we  will  arm  all 
the  slaves.  {Exeunt) 
king  darniak  {enters  with  Retinue) 

My  throne  is  broken.     Illuriel  is  turned  against  me. 

AN    ATTENDANT 

Illuriel  is  fallen. 
all  {with  King  Darniak) 

Illuriel  is  fallen,  is  fallen.     {Some  drop  their  spears) 
king  darniak  {to  the  Idol-Guard) 

What  envious  god  or  sacrilegious  man  has  dared  to 

do  this  thing? 


84  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  ii 

THE  IDOL-GUARD 

Illuriel  is  fallen. 

KING    DARNIAK 

Have  men  been  here? 

THE    IDOL-GUARD 

Is  fallen. 

KING    DARNIAK 

What  way  did  they  go? 

THE    IDOL-GUARD 

Illuriel  is  fallen. 

KING    DARNIAK 

They  shall  be  tortured  here  before  Illuriel,  and  their 
eyes  shall  be  hung  on  a  thread  about  his  neck,  so 
that  Illuriel  shall  see  it,  and  on  their  bones  we  will 
set  him  up  again.     Come! 

[Those  that  have  dropped  their  spears  pick  them 
up,  but  trail  them  along  behind  them  on  the  ground. 
All  follow  dejectedly. 

voices  or  lamentation  (growing  fainter  and  fainter 
off)  Illuriel  is  fallen,  Illuriel  is  fallen.  Illuriel, 
Illuriel,  Illuriel.  Is  fallen.  Is  fallen.  (The  song  of 
the  low-born  ceases  suddenly.  Then  "voices  of  the 
slaves  in  the  slave-fields  chanting  very  loudly)  Illu- 
riel is  fallen,  is  fallen,  is  fallen.  Illuriel  is  fallen  and 
broken  asunder.  Illuriel  is  fallen,  fallen,  fallen. 
[Clamor  of  fighting  is  heard,  the  clash  of  swords, 
and  voices,  and  now  and  then  the  name  of  Illuriel. 

the  idol-guard  (kneeling  over  a  fragment  of  Illuriel) 
Illuriel  is  broken.  They  have  overthrown  Illuriel. 
They  have  done  great  harm  to  the  courses  of  the 
stars.  The  moon  will  be  turned  to  blackness  or  fall 
and  forsake  the  nights.     The  sun  will  rise  no  more. 


act  n]  KING    ARGIMENES  85 

They  do  not  know  how  they  have  wrecked  the  world. 
[Reenter  King  Argimenes  and  his  men. 

king  argimenes  (in  the  doorway) 

Go  you  to  the  land  of  Ithara  and  tell  them  that  I 
am  free.  And  do  you  go  to  the  army  on  the  fron- 
tier. Offer  them  death,  or  the  right  arm  of  the 
throne  to  be  melted  and  divided  amongst  them  all. 
Let  them  choose.  {The  armed  slaves  go  to  the 
throne  and  stand  on  each  side  of  it,  loquitur)  Maj- 
esty, ascend  your  throne.  (King  Argimenes,  stand- 
ing with  his  face  toward  the  audience,  lifts  the  sword 
slowly,  lying  on  both  his  hands,  a  little  above  his 
head,  then  looking  up  at  it,  loquitur)  Praise  to  the 
unknown  warrior  and  to  all  gods  that  bless  him. 
(He  ascends  the  throne.  Zarb  prostrates  himself 
at  the  foot  of  it  and  remains  prostrated  for  the  rest 
of  the  Act,  muttering  at  intervals  "  Majesty."  An 
armed  slave  enters  dragging  the  King's  Overseer. 
King  Argimenes  sternly  watches  him.  He  is  dragged 
before  the  Throne.  He  still  has  the  roll  of  parch- 
ment in  his  hand.  For  some  moments  King  Argi- 
menes does  not  speak.  Then  pointing  at  the  parch- 
ment)    What  have  you  there? 

the  king's  overseer  (kneeling) 

It  is  a  plan  of  the  great  garden,  Majesty.  It  was 
to  have  been  a  wonder  to  the  world.     (Unfolds  it) 

king  argimenes  (grimly) 

Show  me  the  place  that  I  digged  for  three  years. 
(The  King's  Overseer  shows  it  with  trembling  hands; 
the  parchment  shakes  visibly)  Let  there  be  built 
there  a  temple  to  an  Unknown  Warrior.  And  let 
this  sword  be  laid  on  its  altar  evermore,  that  the 
ghost  of  that  Warrior  wandering  by  night  (if  men 


86  KING    ARGIMENES  [act  ii 

do  walk  by  night  from  across  the  grave)  may  see 
his  sword  again.  And  let  slaves  be  allowed  to  pray 
there  and  those  that  are  oppressed;  nevertheless 
the  noble  and  the  mighty  shall  not  fail  to  repair 
there  too,  that  the  Unknown  Warrior  shall  not  lack 
due  reverence. 

[Enter,  running,  a  Man  of  the  household  of  King 
Darniak.  He  starts  and  stares  aghast  on  seeing 
King  Argimenes. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Who  are  you? 

MAN 

I  am  the  servant  of  the  King's  dog. 

KING    ARGIMENES 

Why  do  you  come  here? 

MAN 

The  King's  dog  is  dead. 

king  argimenes  and  his  men  (savagely  and  hungrily) 
Bones ! 

king  argimenes  {remembering  suddenly  what  has  hap- 
pened and  where  he  is)  Let  him  be  buried  with  the 
late  King. 

zarb  (in  a  voice  of  protest) 
Majesty! 

CURTAIN 


THE    GLITTERING    GATE 


PERSONS 

jim,  lately  a  bur  alar  1  „     ,    , 

u  y  Both  dead 

BILL,        "         "  "  J 

Scene:   A  Lonely  Place, 
Time:    The  present. 


THE  GLITTERING  GATE 

The  Lonely  Place  is  strewn  with  large  black  rocks 
and  uncorked  beer-bottles,  the  latter  in  great  profu- 
sion. At  back  is  a  wall  of  granite  built  of  great  slabs, 
and  in  it  the  Gate  of  Heaven.     The  door  is  of  gold. 

Below  the  Lonely  Place  is  an  abyss  hung  with  stars. 

The  rising  curtain  reveals  Jim  wearily  uncorking  a 
beer-bottle.  Then  he  tilts  it  slowly  and  with  infinite 
care.  It  proves  to  be  empty.  Faint  and  unpleasant 
laughter  is  heard  off.  This  action  and  the  accompany- 
ing far  laughter  are  repeated  continually  throughout 
the  play.  Corked  bottles  are  discovered  lying  behind 
rocks,  and  more  descend  constantly  through  the  air, 
within  reach  of  Jim.    All  prove  to  be  empty. 

Jim  uncorks  a  few  bottles. 

jim  (weighing  one  carefully) 

That 's  a  full  one.     (It  is  empty,  like  all) 
[Singing  is  heard  off  left. 

bill  (enters  from  left  with  a  bullet-hole  over  his  eye, 
singing)  Rule  Britannia,  Britannia  rule  the  waves. 
(Breaking  off  his  song)  Why,  'ullo.  'Ere 's  a 
bottle  of  beer.  (Finds  it  empty;  looking  off  and 
downward)  I  'm  getting  a  bit  tired  of  those  bloom- 
ing great  stars  down  there  and  this  rocky  ledge. 
I  've  been  walking  along  under  this  wall  ever  since. 
Why,  it  must  be  twenty-four  hours  since  that  house- 
holder  shot   me.       And   he   need  n't  have   done   it, 


90  THE    GLITTERING    GATE 

either,  /  was  n't  going  to  hurt  the  bloke.  I  only 
wanted  a  bit  of  his  silver  stuff.  It  felt  funny,  that 
did.  Hullo,  a  gate.  Why,  that 's  the  Gate  of 
Heaven.  Well,  well.  So  that 's  all  right.  (Looks 
up  and  up  for  some  time)  No.  I  can't  climb  that 
wall.  Why,  it 's  got  no  top  to  it.  Up  and  up  it 
goes.      (Knocks  at  the  door  and  waits) 

JIM 

That  is  n't  for  the  likes  of  us. 

BILL 

Why,    hullo,    there  's    another   bloke.      Why,    some- 
body 's  been  hanging  him.     Why,  if  it  is  n't  old  Jim ! 
Jim! 
jim  (wearily) 
Hullo. 

BILL 

Why,  Jim !    'Ow  long  'ave  you  been  'ere? 

JIM 

I  am  'ere  always. 

BILL 

Why,  Jim,  don't  you  remember  me?  Why,  you 
taught  Bill  to  pick  locks  years  and  years  ago  when 
he  was  a  little  boy,  and  had  never  learnt  a  trade 
and  had  n't  a  penny  in  the  world,  and  never  would 
have  had  but  for  you,  Jim.  (Jim  stares  vaguely) 
I  never  forgot  you,  Jim.  I  broke  into  scores  of 
houses.  And  then  I  took  on  big  houses.  Out  in  the 
country,  you  know,  real  big  ones.  I  got  rich,  Jim, 
and  respected  by  all  who  knew  me.  I  was  a  citizen, 
Jim,  one  who  dwelt  in  our  midst.  And  of  an  even- 
ing, sitting  over  the  fire,  I  used  to  say,  "  I  am  as 
clever  as  Jim."  But  I  was  n't,  Jim.  I  could  n't 
climb  like  you.     And  I  could  n't  walk  like  you  on 


THE    GLITTERING   GATE  91 

a  creaky  stair,  when  everything 's  quite  still  and 
there  's  a  dog  in  the  house  and  little  rattly  things 
left  lying  about,  and  a  door  that  whines  if  you  touch 
it,  and  someone  ill  upstairs  that  you  did  n't  know 
of,  who  has  nothing  to  do  but  to  listen  for  you 
'cause  she  can't  get  to  sleep.  Don't  you  remember 
little  Bill? 

JIM 

That  would  be  somewhere  else. 

BILL 

Yes,  Jim,  yes.     Down  on  Earth. 

JIM 

But  there  is  n't  anywhere  else. 

BILL 

I  never  forgot  you,  Jim.  I  'd  be  pattering  away 
with  my  tongue,  in  Church,  like  all  the  rest,  but  all 
the  time  I  'd  be  thinking  of  you  in  that  little  room 
at  Putney  and  the  man  searching  every  corner  of 
it  for  you  with  a  revolver  in  one  hand  and  a  candle 
in  the  other,  and  you  almost  going  round  with  him. 

JIM 

What  is  Putney? 

BILL 

Oh,  Jim,  can't  you  remember?  Can't  you  remember 
the  day  you  taught  me  a  livelihood?  I  was  n't  more 
than  twelve,  and  it  was  spring,  and  all  the  may  was 
in  blossom  outside  the  town.  And  we  cleared  out 
No.  25  in  the  new  street.  And  next  day  we  saw  the 
man's  fat,  silly  face.     It  was  thirty  years  ago. 

JIM 

What  are  years? 

BILL 

Oh,  J'vml 


92  THE    GLITTERING   GATE 

JIM 

You  see  there  is  n't  any  hope  here.  And  when  there 
is  n't  any  hope  there  is  n't  any  future.  And  when 
there  is  n't  any  future  there  is  n't  any  past.  It  's 
just  the  present  here.  I  tell  you  we  're  stuck.  There 
are  n't  no  years  here.     Nor  no  nothing. 

BILL 

Cheer  up,  Jim.  You  're  thinking  of  a  quotation, 
"  Abandon  hope,  all  ye  that  enter  here."  I  used  to 
learn  quotations ;  they  are  awfully  genteel.  A  fel- 
low called  Shakespeare  used  to  make  them.  But 
there  is  n't  any  sense  in  them.  What  's  the  use  of 
saying  ye  when  you  mean  you?  Don't  be  thinking 
of  quotations,  Jim. 

JIM 

I  tell  you  there  is  no  hope  here. 

BILL 

Cheer  up,  Jim.  There  's  plenty  of  hope  there,  is  n't 
there?     (Points  to  the  Gate  of  Heaven) 

JIM 

Yes,  and  that 's  why  they  keep  it  locked  up  so. 
They  won't  let  us  have  any.  No.  I  begin  to  re- 
member Earth  again  now  since  you  've  been  speak- 
ing. It  was  just  the  same  there.  The  more  they  'd 
got  the  more  they  wanted  to  keep  you  from  having 
a  bit. 

BILL 

You  '11  cheer  up  a  bit  when  I  tell  you  what  I  've  got. 
I  say,  Jim,  have  you  got  some  beer?  Why,  so  you 
have.    Why,  you  ought  to  cheer  up,  Jim. 

JIM 

All  the  beer  you  're  ever  likely  to  see  again.  They  're 
empty. 


THE    GLITTERING    GATE  93 

bill  (half  rising  from  the  rock  on  which  he  has  seated 
himself,  and  pointing  his  finger  at  Jim  as  he  rises; 
very  cheerfully)  Why,  you  're  the  chap  that  said 
there  was  no  hope  here,  and  you  're  hoping  to  find 
beer  in  every  bottle  you  open. 

JIM 

Yes ;  I  hope  to  see  a  drop  of  beer  in  one  some  day, 
but  I  know  I  won't.  Their  trick  might  not  work 
just  once. 

BILL 

How  many  have  you  tried,  Jim? 

JIM 

Oh,  I  don't  know.  I  've  always  been  at  it,  working 
as  fast  as  I  can,  ever  since  —  ever  since  —  (Feels  his 
neck  meditatively  and  up  toward  his  ear)  Why,  ever 
since,  Bill. 

BILL 

Why  don't  you  stop  it? 

JIM 

I  'm  too  thirsty,  Bill. 

BILL 

What  do  you  think  I  've  got,  Jim? 

JIM 

I  don't  know.     Nothing  's  any  use. 

bill  (as  yet  another  bottle  is  shown  to  be  empty) 
Who  's  that  laughing,  Jim? 

jim    (astonished  at   such  a  question,   loudly  and  em- 
phatically)    Who  's  that  laughing? 

bill  (looks  a  little  disconcerted  at  having  apparently 
asked  a  silly  question)     Is  it  a  pal? 

JIM 

A  pal! — (laughs)  (The  laugh  off  joms  in  loudly 
and  for  long) 


94  THE    GLITTERING    GATE 

BILL 

Well,  I  don't  know.  But,  Jim,  what  do  you  think 
I  've  got? 

JIM 

It  is  n't  any  good  to  you  whatever  it  is.  Not  even 
if  it  is  a  ten-pound  note. 

BILL 

It 's  better  than  a  ten-pound  note,  Jim.  Jim,  try 
and  remember,  Jim.  Don't  you  remember  the  way 
we  used  to  go  for  those  iron  safes?  Do  you  re- 
member anything,  Jim? 

JIM 

Yes,  I  am  beginning  to  remember  now.  There  used 
to  be  sunsets.  And  then  there  were  great  yellow 
lights.  And  one  went  in  behind  them  through  a 
swinging  door. 

BILL 

Yes,  yes,  Jim.  That  was  the  Blue  Bear  down  at 
Wimbledon. 

JIM 

Yes,  and  the  room  was  all  full  of  golden  light.  And 
there  was  beer  with  light  in  it,  and  some  would  be 
spilt  on  the  counter  and  there  was  light  in  that  too. 
And  there  was  a  girl  standing  there  with  yellow 
hair.  She  'd  be  the  other  side  of  that  door  now,  with 
lamplight  in  her  hair  among  the  angels,  and  the 
old  smile  on  her  lips  if  one  of  them  chaffed  her, 
and  her  pretty  teeth  a-shining.  She  would  be  very 
near  the  throne;    there  was  never  any  harm  in  Jane. 

BILL 

No,  there  was  never  any  'arm  in  Jane,  Jim. 

JIM 

Oh,  I   don't  want  to  see  the  angels,  Bill.     But  if  I 


THE    GLITTERING    GATE  95 

could  see  Jane  again  (points  in  direction  of  laugh) 
he  might  laugh  as  much  as  he  cared  to  whenever  I 
wanted  to  cry.     You  can't  cry  here,  you  know,  Bill. 

BILL, 

You  shall  see  her  again,  Jim. 

[Jim  takes  no  interest  in  this  remark;    he  lowers  his 

eyes  and  goes  on  with  his  work. 

BILL 

Jim,  you  shall  see  her  again.     You  want  to  get  into 
Heaven,  don't  you? 
jim  (not  raising  his  eyes) 
Want! 

BILL 

Jim.      Do   you  know  what  I've  got,   Jim? 

[Jim  makes  no   answer,   goes   on  wearily   with   his 

work. 

BILL 

You  remember  those  iron   safes,  Jim,  how  we  used 
to   knock  them   open  like  walnuts  with  "  Old   Nut- 
cracker "? 
jim  (at  work,  wearily) 
Empty  again. 

BILL 

Well,  I  've  got  Old  Nut-cracker.  I  had  him  in  my 
hand  at  the  time,  and  they  let  me  keep  him.  They 
thought  it  would  be  a  nice  proof  against  me. 

JIM 

Nothing  is  any  good  here. 

BILL 

I  '11  get  in  to  Heaven,  Jim.  And  you  shall  come 
with  me  because  you  taught  me  a  livelihood.  I 
could  n't    be    happy    there,   like    those    angels,    if    I 


96  THE    GLITTERING    GATE 


knew  of  anyone  being  outside.  I  'm  not  like  that. 
[Jim  goes  on  with  his  work. 

BILL 

Jim,  Jim.     You  '11  see  Jane  there. 

JIM 

You  '11  never  get  through  those  gates,  Bill.  You  '11 
never  do  it. 

BILL 

They  're  only  gold,  Jim.  Gold  's  soft  like  lead.  Old 
Nut-cracker  would  do  it  if  they  were  steel. 

JIM 

You  '11  never  do  it,  Bill. 

[Bill  puts  a  rock  against  the  gates,  stands  on  it  to 
reach  the  lock  and  gets  to  work  on  the  lock.  A  good 
instrument  to  use  is  an  egg-whipper.  Jim  goes  on 
wearily  with  his  work.  As  Bill  works  away,  frag- 
ments and  golden  screws  begin  to  fall  on  the  floor. 

BILL 

Jim !  Old  Nut-cracker  thinks  nothing  of  it.  It 's 
just  like  cheese  to  old  Nut-cracker. 

JIM 

They  won't  let  you  do  it,  Bill. 

BILL 

They  don't  know  what  I  've  got.  I  'm  getting 
through  it  like  cheese,  Jim. 

JIM 

Suppose  it 's  a  mile  thick.  Suppose  it 's  a  million 
miles  thick.  Suppose  it 's  a  hundred  million  miles 
thick. 

BILL 

Can't  be,  Jim.  These  doors  are  meant  to  open 
outward.     They  could  n't  do  that  if  they  were  more 


THE    GLITTERING   GATE  97 

than  four  inches  at  the  most,  not  for  an  Archbishop. 
They  'd  stick. 

JIM 

You  remember  that  great  safe  we  broke  open  once, 
what  had  coal  in  it. 

BILL 

This  is  n't  a  safe,  Jim,  this  is  Heaven.  There  'II  be 
the  old  saints  with  their  halos  shining  and  flicker- 
ing, like  windows  o'  wintry  nights.  (Creak,  creak, 
creak}  And  angels  thick  as  swallows  along  a  cot- 
tage roof  the  day  before  they  go.  (Creak,  creak, 
creak)  And  orchards  full  of  apples  as  far  as  you 
can  see,  and  the  rivers  of  Tigris  and  Euphrates,  so 
the  Bible  says ;  and  a  city  of  gold,  for  those  that 
care  for  cities,  all  full  of  precious  stones ;  but  I  'm 
a  bit  tired  of  cities  and  precious  stones.  (Creak, 
creak,  creak)  I  '11  go  out  into  the  fields  where  the 
orchards  are,  by  the  Tigris  and  the  Euphrates.  I 
should  n't  be  surprised  if  my  old  mother  was  there. 
She  never  cared  much  for  the  way  I  earned  my 
livelihood  (creak,  creak),  but  she  was  a  good 
mother  to  me.  I  don't  know  if  they  want  a  good 
mother  in  there  who  would  be  kind  to  the  angels 
and  sit  and  smile  at  them  when  they  sang  and  soothe 
them  if  they  were  cross.  If  they  let  all  the  good 
ones  in  she'll  be  there  all  right.  (Suddenly)  Jim! 
They  won't  have  brought  me  up  against  her,  will 
they?    That 's  not  fair  evidence,  Jim. 

JIM 

It  would  be  just  like  them  to.     Very  like  them. 

BILL 

If  there  's  a  glass  of  beer  to  be  got  in  Heaven,  or 
a  dish  of  tripe  and  onions,  or  a  pipe  of  'bacca  she  '11 


98  THE    GLITTERING    GATE 

have  them  for  me  when  I  come  to  her.  She  used 
to  know  my  ways  wonderful;  and  what  I  liked. 
And  she  used  to  know  when  to  expect  me  almost 
anywhere.  I  used  to  climb  in  through  the  window 
at  any  hour  and  she  always  knew  it  was  me.  {Creak, 
creak)  She  '11  know  it  's  me  at  the  door  now,  Jim. 
(Creak,  creak)  It  will  be  all  a  blaze  of  light,  and 
I  '11  hardly  know  it 's  her  till  I  get  used  to  it.  .  .  . 
But  I  '11  know  her  among  a  million  angels.  There 
were  n't  none  like  her  on  Earth  and  there  won't  be 
none  like  her  in  Heaven.  .  .  .  Jim !  I  'm  through, 
Jim !  One  more  turn,  and  old  Nut-cracker  's  done 
it!  It's  giving!  It's  giving!  I  know  the  feel  of 
it.     Jim! 

[At  last  there  is  a  noise  of  falling  bolts;  the  gates 
'swmg  out  an  inch  and  are  stopped  by  the  rock. 

BILL 

Jim  !     Jim  !     I  've  opened  it,  Jim.     I  've  opened  the 

Gate  of  Heaven !     Come  and  help  me. 
jim  (looks  up  for  a  moment  with  open  mouth.     Then 

he  mournfully  shakes  his  head  and  goes  on  drawing 

a  cork)     Another  one  empty. 
bill  (looks  down  once  into  the  abyss  that  lies  below 

the  Lonely  Place)     Stars.     Blooming  great  stars. 

[Then  he  moves  away  the  rock  on  which  he  stood. 

The  gates  move  slowly.     Jim  leaps  up  and  runs  to 

help;     they  each   take  a  gate  and  move  backward 

with  their  faces  against  it. 

BILL 

Hullo,  mother!  You  there?  Hullo!  You  there? 
It 's  Bill,  mother. 

[The  gates  swing  heavily  open,  reveal'mg  empty  night 
and  stars. 


THE    GLITTERING    GATE  99 

bill  (staggering  and  gazing  into  the  revealed  Nothing, 
in  which  far  stars  go  wandering)  Stars.  Blooming 
great  stars.  There  ain't  no  Heaven,  Jim. 
\FiVer  since  the  revelation  a  cruel  and  violent  laugh 
has  arisen  off.  It  increases  in  volume  and  grows 
louder  and  louder. 

JIM 

That 's   like   them.      That 's   very  like  them.      Yes, 

they  'd  do  that ! 

The  curtain  falls  and  the  laughter  still  howls  on. 


THE    LOST    SILK    HAT 


PERSONS 

The  Caller 
The  Laborer 
The  Clerk 
The  Poet 
The  Policeman 

Scene:  A  fashionable  London  street. 


THE  LOST  SILK  HAT 

The  Caller  stands  on  a  doorstep,  "  faultlessly 
dressed,"  but  without  a  hat.  At  first  he  shows  despair, 
then  a  new  thought  engrosses  him. 

Enter  the  Laborer. 

THE    CALLER 

Excuse  me  a  moment.  Excuse  me  —  but  —  I  'd  be 
greatly  obliged  to  you  if  —  if  you  could  see  your 
way  —  in  fact,  you  can  be  of  great  service  to  me 
if  — 

THE    LABORER 

Glad  to  do  what  I  can,  sir. 

CALLER 

Well,  all  I  really  want  you  to  do  is  just  to  ring 
that  bell  and  go  up  and  say  —  er  —  say  that  you  've 
come  to  see  to  the  drains,  or  anything  like  that,  you 
know,  and  get  hold  of  my  hat  for  me. 

LABORER 

Get  hold  of  your  'at! 

CALLER 

Yes.  You  see,  I  left  my  hat  behind  most  unfor- 
tunately. It 's  in  the  drawing-room  (po'mts  to  win^- 
dow),  that  room  there,  half  under  the  long  sofa,  the 
far  end  from  the  door.  And  if  you  could  possibly 
go  and  get  it,  why  I  'd  be  (  The  Laborer's  expression 
changes) — Why,  what's  the  matter? 
laborer  (firmly) 
I  don't  like  this  job. 


104  THE    LOST    SILK    HAT 

CALLER 

Don't  like  this  job!  But  my  dear  fellow,  don't  be 
silly,  what  possible  harm  —  ? 

LABORER 

Ah-h.     That 's  what  I  don't  know. 

CALLER 

But  what  harm  can  there  possibly  be  in  so  simple  a 
request?     What  harm  does  there  seem  to  be? 

LABORER 

Oh,  it  seems  all  right. 

CALLER 

Well,  then. 

LABORER 

All  these  crack  jobs  do  seem  all  right. 

CALLER 

But  I  'm  not  asking  you  to  rob  the  house. 

LABORER 

Don't  seem  as  if  you  are,  certainly,  but  I  don't  like 
the  looks  of  it ;  what  if  there  's  things  what  I  can't 
'elp  taking  when  I  gets  inside? 

CALLER 

I  only  want  my  hat  —  Here,  I  say,  please  don't  go 
away  —  here  's  a  sovereign,  it  will  only  take  you  a 
minute. 

LABORER 

What  I  want  to  know — 

CALLER 

Yes? 

LABORER 

—  Is  what 's  in  that  hat? 

CALLER 

What 's  in  the  hat  ? 


THE    LOST    SILK    HAT  105 

LABORER 

Yes ;   that 's  what  I  want  to  know. 

CALLER 

What 's  in  the  hat  ? 

LABORER 

Yes,  you  are  n't  going  to  give  me  a  sovereign  —  ? 

CALLER 

I  '11  give  you  two  sovereigns. 

LABORER 

You  are  n't  going  to  give  me  a  sovereign,  and  rise  it 
to  two  sovereigns,  for  an  empty  hat? 

CALLER 

But  I  must  have  my  hat.  I  can't  be  seen  in  the 
streets  like  this.  There  's  nothing  in  the  hat.  What 
do  you  think  's  in  the  hat? 

LABORER 

Ah,  I  'm  not  clever  enough  to  say  that,  but  it  looks 
as  if  the  papers  was  in  that  hat. 

CALLER 

The  papers? 

LABORER 

Yes,  papers  proving,  if  you  can  get  them,  that 
you  're  the  heir  to  that  big  house,  and  some  poor 
innocent  will  be  defrauded. 

CALLER 

Look  here,  the  hat 's  absolutely  empty.  I  must 
have  my  hat.  If  there  's  anything  in  it  you  shall 
have  it  yourself  as  well  as  the  two  pounds,  only 
get  me  my  hat. 

LABORER 

Well,  that  seems  all  right. 

CALLER 

That 's   right,  then  you  '11  run  up  and  get  it? 


106  THE    LOST    SILK    HAT 

LABORER 

Seems  all  right  to  me  and  seems  all  right  to  you. 
But  it 's  the  police  what  you  and  I  have  got  to 
think   of.      Will  it  seem   all   right   to   them? 

CALLER 

Oh,  for  heaven's  sake  — 

LABORER 

Ah! 

CALLER 

What  a  hopeless  fool  you  are. 

LABORER 

Ah! 

CALLER 

Look  here. 

LABORER 

Ah,  I  got  you  there,  mister. 

CALLER 

Look  here,  for  goodness  sake  don't  go, 

LABORER 

Ah!      (Exit) 
[Enter   the  Clerk. 

CALLER 

Excuse  me,  sir.  Excuse  my  asking  you,  but,  as 
you  see,  I  am  without  a  hat.  I  shall  be  extraordi- 
narily obliged  to  you  if  you  would  be  so  very  good 
as  to  get  it  for  me.  Pretend  you  have  come  to  wind 
the  clocks,  you  know.  I  left  it  in  the  drawing- 
room  of  this  house,  half  under  the  long  sofa,  the 
far   end. 

CLERK 

Oh,  er  —  all  right,  only  — 

CALLER 

Thanks  so  much,  I  am  immensely  indebted  to  you. 


THE    LOST    SILK    HAT  107 

Just  say  you  've  come  to  wind  the  clocks,  you 
know. 

CLERK 

I  —  er  —  don't  think  I  'm  very  good  at  winding 
clocks,   you   know. 

CALLER 

Oh,  that  's  all  right,  just  stand  in  front  of  the 
clock  and  fool  about  with  it.  That 's  all  they  ever 
do.     I  must  warn  you  there  's  a  lady  in  the  room. 

CLERK 

Oh! 

CALLER 

But  that 's  all  right,  you  know.  Just  walk  past 
up  to  the  clock. 

CLERK 

But  I  think,  if  you  don't  mind,  as  there  's  someone 
there  — 

CALLER 

Oh,  but  she  's  quite  young  and  very,  very  beautiful 
and  — 

CLERK 

Why  don't  you  get  it  yourself? 

CALLER 

That  is  impossible. 

CLERK 

Impossible? 

CALLER 

Yes,  I  have  sprained  my  ankle. 

CLERK 

Oh!     Is  it  bad? 

CALLER 

Yes,  very  bad  indeed. 


108  THE    LOST    SILK    HAT 

CLERK 

I  don't  mind  trying  to  carry  you  up. 

CALLER 

No,  that  would  be  worse.  My  foot  has  to  be  kept 
on  the  ground. 

CLERK 

But  how  will  you  get  home? 

CALLER 

I  can  walk  all  right  on  the  flat. 

CLERK 

I  'm  afraid  I  have  to  be  going  on.  It 's  rather 
later  than  I  thought. 

CALLER 

But  for  goodness  sake  don't  leave  me.  You  can't 
leave  me  here  like  this  without  a  hat. 

CLERK 

I  'm    afraid    I    must,    it 's    later    than    I    thought. 

{Exit) 

[Enter  the  Poet. 

CALLER 

Excuse  me,  sir.  Excuse  my  stopping  you.  But  I 
should  be  immensely  obliged  to  you  if  you  would  do 
me  a  very  great  favor.  I  have  unfortunately  left  my 
hat  behind  while  calling  at  this  house.  It  is  half 
under  the  long  sofa,  at  the  far  end.  If  you  could 
possibly  be  so  kind  as  to  pretend  you  have  come  to 
tune  the  piano  and  fetch  my  hat  for  me  I  should  be 
enormously  grateful  to  you. 

POET 

But  why  cannot  you  get  it  for  yourself? 

CALLER 

I  cannot. 


THE    LOST    SILK    HAT  109 

POET 

If  you  would  tell  me  the  reason  perhaps  I  could  help 
you. 

CALLER 

I  cannot.     I  can  never  enter  that  house  again. 

POET 

If  you  have  committed  a  murder,  by  all  means  tell 
me.  I  am  not  sufficiently  interested  in  ethics  to  wish 
to  have  3'ou  hanged  for  it. 

CALLER 

Do  I  look  like  a  murderer? 

POET 

No,  of  course  not.  I  am  only  saying  that  you  can 
safely  trust  me,  for  not  only  does  the  statute  book 
and  its  penalties  rather  tend  to  bore  me,  but  murder 
itself  has  always  had  a  certain  fascination  for  me. 
I  write  delicate  and  fastidious  lyrics,  yet,  strange  as 
it  may  appear,  I  read  every  murder  trial,  and  my 
sympathies  are  always  with  the  prisoner. 

CALLER 

But  I  tell  you  I  am  not  a  murderer. 

POET 

Then  what  have  you  done? 

CALLER 

I  have  quarrelled  with  a  lady  in  that  house  and  have 
sworn  to  join  the  Bosnians  and  die  in  Africa. 

POET 

But  this  is  beautiful. 

CALLER 

Unfortunately  I  forgot  my  hat. 

POET 

You  go  to  die  for  a  hopeless  love,  and  in  a  far  coun- 
try ;  it  was  the  wont  of  the  troubadours. 


110  THE    LOST    SILK    HAT 

CALLER 

But  you  will  get  my  hat  for  me? 

POET 

That  I  will  gladly  do  for  you.  But  we  must  find  an 
adequate  reason  for  entering  the  house. 

CALLER 

You  pretend  to  tune  the  piano. 

POET 

That,  unfortunately,  is  impossible.  The  sound  of  a 
piano  being  unskilfully  handled  is  to  me  what  the 
continual  drop  of  cold  water  on  the  same  part  of  the 
head  is  said  to  be  in  countries  where  that  interesting 
torture  is  practised.     There  is  — 

CALLER 

But  what  are  we  to  do? 

POET 

There  is  a  house  where  kind  friends  of  mine  have 
given  me  that  security  and  comfort  that  are  a  poet's 
necessity.  But  there  was  a  governess  there  and  a 
piano.  It  is  years  and  years  since  I  was  able  even  to 
see  the  faces  of  those  friends  without  an  inward 
shudder. 

CALLER 

Well,  we  '11  have  to  think  of  something  else. 

POET 

You  are  bringing  back  to  these  unhappy  days  the 
romance  of  an  age  of  which  the  ballads  tell  us  that 
kings  sometimes  fought  in  no  other  armor  than  their 
lady's  nightshirt. 

CALLER 

Yes,  but  you  know  first  of  all  I  must  get  my  hat. 

POET 

But  why? 


THE    LOST    SILK    HAT  111 

CALLER 

I  cannot  possibly  be  seen  in  the  streets  without 
a  hat. 

POET 

Why  not? 

CALLER 

It  can't  be  done. 

POET 

But  you  confuse  externals  with  essentials. 

CALLER 

I  don't  know  what  you  call  essentials,  but  being 
decently  dressed  in  London  seems  pretty  essential 
to  me. 

POET 

A  hat  is  not  one  of  the  essential  things  of  life. 

CALLER 

I  don't  want  to  appear  rude,  but  my  hat  is  n't  quite 
like  yours. 

POET 

Let  us  sit  down  and  talk  of  things  that  matter, 
things  that  will  be  remembered  after  a  hundred  years. 
{They  sit)  Regarded  in  this  light  one  sees  at  once 
the  triviality  of  hats.  But  to  die,  and  die  beautifully 
for  a  hopeless  love,  that  is  a  thing  one  could  make  a 
lyric  about.  That  is  the  test  of  essential  things  — 
try  and  imagine  them  in  a  lyric.  One  could  not 
write  a  lyric  about  a  hat. 

CALLER 

I  don't  care  whether  you  could  write  a  lyric  about 
my  hat  or  whether  you  could  n't.  All  I  know  is  that 
I  am  not  going  to  make  myself  absolutely  ridiculous 
by  walking  about  in  London  without  a  hat.  Will  you 
get  it  for  me  or  will  you  not? 


112  THE    LOST    SILK    HAT 

POET 

To  take  any  part  in  the  tuning  of  a  piano  is  im- 
possible to  me. 

CALLER 

Well,  pretend  you  've  come  to  look  at  the  radiator. 
They  have  one  under  the  window,  and  I  happen  to 
know  it  leaks. 

POET 

I  suppose  it  has  an  artistic  decoration  on  it. 

CALLER 

Yes,  I  think  so. 

POET 

Then  I  decline  to  look  at  it  or  to  go  near  it.  I  know 
these  decorations  in  cast  iron.  I  once  saw  a  pot- 
bellied Egyptian  god,  named  Bes,  and  he  was  meant 
to  be  ugly,  but  he  was  n't  as  ugly  as  these  decorations 
that  the  twentieth  century  can  make  with  machinery. 
What  has  a  plumber  got  to  do  with  art  that  he  should 
dare  to  attempt  decoration? 

CALLER 

Then  you  won't  help  me. 

POET 

I  won't  look  at  ugly  things  and  I  won't  listen  to 
ugly  noises,  but  if  you  can  think  of  any  reasonable 
plan  I  don't  mind  helping  you. 

CALLER 

I  can  think  of  nothing  else.  You  don't  look  like  a 
plumber  or  a  clock-winder.  I  can  think  of  nothing 
•more.  I  have  had  a  terrible  ordeal  and  I  am  not  in 
the  condition  to  think  calmly. 

POET 

Then  you  will  have  to  leave  your  hat  to  its  altered 
destiny. 


THE    LOST    SILK    HAT  113 

CALLER 

Why  can't  you  think  of  a  plan?  If  you  're  a  poet, 
thinking  's  rather  in  your  line. 

POET 

If  I  could  bring  my  thoughts  to  contemplate  so  ab- 
surd a  thing  as  a  hat  for  any  length  of  time  no  doubt 
I  could  think  of  a  plan,  but  the  very  triviality  of  the 
theme  seems  to  scare  them  away. 
callee  (rising) 

Then  I  must  get  it  myself. 

POET 

For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  do  that!  Think  what  it 
means ! 

CALLER 

I  know  it  will  seem  absurd,  but  not  so  absurd  as 
walking  through  London  without  it. 

POET 

I  don't  mean  that.  But  you  will  make  it  up.  You 
will  forgive  each  other,  and  you  will  marry  her  and 
have  a  family  of  noisy,  pimply  children  like  ever}rone 
else,  and  Romance  will  be  dead.  No,  don't  ring  that 
bell.  Go  and  buy  a  bayonet,  or  whatever  one  does 
buy,  and  join  the  Bosnians. 

CALLER 

I  tell  you  I  can't  without  a  hat. 

POET 

What  is  a  hat !  Will  you  sacrifice  for  it  a  beautiful 
doom?  Think  of  your  bones,  neglected  and  for- 
gotten, lying  forlornly  because  of  hopeless  love  on 
endless  golden  sands.  "  Lying  forlorn  !  "  as  Keats 
said.  What  a  word  !  Forlorn  in  Africa.  The  care- 
less  Bedouins  going  past  by  day,  at  night  the  lion's 
roar,  the  grievous  voice  of  the  desert. 


114  THE    LOST    SILK    HAT 

CALLER 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  don't  think  you  're  right  in 
speaking  of  it  as  desert.  The  Bosnians,  I  believe, 
are  only  taking  it  because  it  is  supposed  to  be  the 
most  fertile  land  in  the  world. 

POET 

What  of  that?  You  will  not  be  remembered  by  geog- 
raphy and  statistics,  but  by  golden-mouthed  Ro- 
mance.    And  that  is  how  Romance  sees  Africa. 

CALLER 

Well,  I  'm  going  to  get  my  hat. 

POET 

Think !  Think !  If  you  enter  by  that  door  you  will 
never  fall  among  the  foremost  Bosnians.  You  will 
never  die  in  a  far-off,  lonely  land  to  lie  by  immense 
Sahara.  And  she  will  never  weep  for  your  beautiful 
doom  and  call  herself  cruel  in  vain. 

CALLER 

Hark !  She  is  playing  the  piano.  It  seems  to  me  that 
she  might  be  unhappy  about  it  for  years.  I  don't 
see  much  good  in  that. 

POET 

No.    /  will  comfort  her. 

CALLER 

I  'm  damned  if  you  do !  Look  here !  I  don't  mind 
saying,  I  'm  damned  if  you  do. 

POET 

Calm  yourself.  Calm  yourself.  I  do  not  mean  in  that 
way. 

CALLER 

Then  what  on  earth  do  you  mean? 

POET 

I  will  make  songs  about  your  beautiful  death,  glad 


THE    LOST    SILK    HAT  115 

songs  and  sad  songs.  They  shall  be  glad  because 
they  tell  again  the  noble  tradition  of  the  troubadours, 
and  sad  because  they  tell  of  your  sorrowful  destiny 
and  of  your  hopeless  love. 

I  shall  make  legends  also  about  your  lonely  bones, 
telling  perhaps  how  some  Arabian  men,  finding  them 
in  the  desert  by  some  oasis,  memorable  in  war,  won- 
der who  loved  them.  And  then  as  I  read  them  to 
her,  she  weeps  perhaps  a  little,  and  I  read  instead 
of  the  glory  of  the  soldier,  how  it  overtops  our 
transitory  — 

CALLER 

Look  here,  I  'm  not  aware  that  you  've  ever  been  in- 
troduced to  her. 

POET 

A  trifle,  a  trifle. 
caller 

It  seems  to  me  that  you  're  in  rather  an  undue  hurry 
for  me  to  get  a  Jubu  spear  in  me ;  but  I  'm  going  to 
get  my  hat  first. 

POET 

I  appeal  to  you.     I  appeal  to  you  in  the  name  of 
beautiful  battles,  high  deeds,  and  lost  causes ;  in  the 
name  of  love-tales  told  to  cruel  maidens  and  told  in 
vain.     In  the   name   of  stricken  hearts  broken  like 
beautiful  harp-strings,  I  appeal  to  you. 
I  appeal   in  the  ancient  holy  name  of  Romance:  do 
not  ring  that  bell. 
[Caller  rings  the  bell. 
POET  (.sits  down,  abject) 

You  will  marry.  You  will  sometimes  take  a  ticket 
with  your  wife  as  far  as  Paris.  Perhaps  as  far  as 
Cannes.    Then  the  family  will  come;   a  large  sprawl- 


116  THE    LOST    SILK    HAT 

ing  family  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see  (I  speak  in 
hyperbole).  You  '11  earn  money  and  feed  it  and  be 
like  all  the  rest.  No  monument  will  ever  be  set  up 
to  your  memory  but — 

[Servant   answers   bell.     Caller  says   something  in- 
audible.    Exit  through  door. 
poet  (rising,  lifting  hand) 

But  let  there  be  graven  in  brass  upon  this  house: 
Romance  was  born  again  here  out  of  due  time  and 
died  young.     (He  sits  down) 

[Enter  Laborer  and  Clerk  with  Policeman.  The 
music  stops. 

POLICEMAN 

Anything  wrong  here? 

POET 

Everything 's    wrong.      They  're   going  to   kill   Ro- 
mance. 
policeman  (to  Laborer) 

This  gentleman  does  n't  seem  quite  right  somehow. 

liABOREB 

They  're  none  of  them  quite  right  to-day. 
[Music  starts  again. 

POET 

My  God !     It  is  a  duet. 

POLICEMAN 

He  seems  a  bit  wrong  somehow. 

LABORER 

You  should  'a  seen  the  other  one. 

CURTAIN 


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